Spirited Away: The Gatekeepers
by amazingartistry
Summary: This is the sequel to Spirited Away The Second Immersion. This will lead into book 3, which is based off of more abstract and dream-like concepts. Book 1 structure. Book 2 Transition (Some structure). Book 3 Chaos. Don't like this? Read no further. Love this stuff? READ ON. It gets good. Very good.
1. Chapter 1

****Hello readers, welcome back! This is the first chapter to the sequel of Spirited Away The Second Immersion. I'm really pumped about this next one because it explains a lot that was left for questioning last time. Well, here goes...**

 **Enjoy Chapter 1! :)****

Chapter 1: The Assassin's Calling

I had walked in the room.

I wondered if this kind of reunion was really necessary, because of the drama it stirs...

However, I couldn't think of anything else that would work better.

 _Just deal with it already! Stop standing there like a statue to be gazed at!_

 _(But what am I supposed to do? Say, 'Hey everyone, I decided to drop by for a late brunch. By the way, the world is in danger again, and yes, you are all being dragged into it. Again.'_

 _That just... It wouldn't go over well.)_

 _Well, sorry. That's about how it's going to go. I hope I'm tactful enough to make it sound better than that._

Everyone in the room was frozen, just staring at me like some ancient relic. This did not help my nervousness.

I took a breath. "You could all, well, move. Or say something. Either would work fine."

"Yeah, like seriously guys." Said a girl. She looked like a younger Kuhn.

"What's with all the quietness. Now you've got him feeling like, all awkward and stuff... Hold on, you look just like dad! I am so sorry, but how in the heck are you standing here!?... Cool..."

I felt myself smile.

 _Well, she was definitely Linn's child._

Shisuta sighed. "I don't know how this is possible, but in any case..."

She walked up to me, wrapping me in a warm hug.

"Welcome back..." Kahn could see the tears in her eyes.

Kuhn was standing there, still frozen.

I walked up to him.

"She looks a lot like you." I said with a smile.

He wrapped me in a hug.

"You're alive... But how? It doesn't matter, I'm glad you're here..."

He looked at me, and smiled. "Yeah, she does look a lot like me doesn't she?"

"Hey! What about me!? She's mine too you know!"

I didn't even have to look to know who that was.

"Hello Linn. Don't worry, I can see she has your... Err..."

"You are so full of crap." Said the girl.

"That." I said. "She has that."

She laughed. "I like this guy! He should like, chill with us."

Kuhn gave her a defeated look.

"Hiro, I told you to start using more... Well, language."

She groaned with annoyance.

"But Dad... That's just how I talk... I keep on saying it's like, a style... It makes sense."

"No, grammar is extremely important!" Shisuta exclaimed. "When writing, speaking, and even performing Alchemy!"

Karo slapped his palm to his face.

"Here she goes again..."

Haruka nodded. "No really, it happens almost every day..."

She was nearly in tears as she spoke.

"You poor deprived child... You do not yet know the wonders of correct speaking. It shall open up a new world of OPPORTUNITIES! IT IS NOT TOO LATE! Come, come and see the wonders of my very OWN DICTIONARY!"

She dragged a begging and pleading Hiro out of the office.

I blinked in surprise. "Oh... I can see she has lost no... Enthusiasm."

Nina laughed. "Not quite the word I'd use, but I like it!"

"I hate to interrupt this reunion, but, what are you doing here? We all saw you die."

I looked at Karo, and felt internally grateful. Time was of the essence, and I needed to explain myself now.

"Yes, there is that." I said. "Why don't we sit down, and I can explain why it is I'm here."

Kuhn nodded. He gesture toward a coffee table with a couch, and two living chairs.

We all sat.

My heart became heavy as I spoke.

"Yes, there is a reason I was sent back. I wish I could say it was to see all of you again, but that's not all of it. Remember when Chihiro destroyed the tainted bloodline?"

Nina nodded. "Yes, and I think I know where some of this is going. I have Intel that says, every Lumina that was connected to the main hive perished as well."

I nodded slowly. "That's a big part of it."

Karo gaped. "You can't be serious! ...Thank God that wasn't us!"

Haruka practically melted in her seat.

"I feel you Karo. Holy wow..."

It was time that I put the pieces together for them.

"Yes, your disconnections from the hive have saved both of you. There is a much larger problem than ourselves, do you remember anything about Chihiro and the mixing of blood's?"

Kuhn spoke. "Yeah, wasn't that when the two energies mixed together, creating that demon?"

I nodded. "Yes, a forbidden act of which Chihiro had no control. This is why the tainted and the Lumina never worked together."

"I remember." Said Karo. "None of the lower houses knew much about it, but when the Lumina and the Tainted come in contact, a horrible creature is said to be born. It looked a lot like Chihiro's demon."

This was it.

"Yes, and that is because both the Lumina, and the tainted were gatekeepers for such creatures. They were, until we killed them. These creatures are called Leviathans, and now they are roaming free. I have been sent to fix this, and to protect this place."

"Hold on." Said Linn. "So you're saying this place is in danger again!?"

I sighed. "Yes, but not immediately. I came early."

"How many are coming?" Kuhn asked.

"The first hundred will arrive two days from now." I said.

"There are one thousand of them in full, and I have been assigned to destroy all of them."

Karo held his head in his hands. "No, not this again..."

Nina stood. "I'll let the others know. We need to start preparing now if we have any chance."

She left the room.

I hated the fact that I had dropped this burden on them, they had been through enough.

There was nothing I could do now...

...Nothing but wait for the next disaster to unfold.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Friends in High Places

Hiro was sitting at Shisuta's 'Altar of Knowledge' reading her 8000 page dictionary. She was only on page five, and she was half asleep.

 _How can she stand to write all of this down!? Now I have to read ALL of it._

 _...This really sucks._

Shisuta was looking at some files in a black folder. The folder was marked with a white N.

"What'chya reading?" Hiro asked.

Shisuta jumped. "Oh! I was simply... Simply examining some paper work for... For some very important customers..."

Hiro saw right through that.

"Ooooh... Are they loooove letters? Let me see!"

She tried to peek over her shoulder, but Shisuta closed the folder.

Her expression darkened. "It is considered very _Russ_ to dabble in other's affairs! I had better not find you reading these... There will be consequences."

Was this the same Shisuta?

"Sure, okay. I won't read it... Are you okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Yes... I'm fine."

Nina walked in the room, and she concealed the folder.

"Shisuta, you need to come back to the office. There's a lot we have to prepare for, and there's not much time."

She looked confused, but stood.

"Understood. Let's go then."

Hiro spoke.

"Wait! What about me!? Like, can I stop readings?"

Shisuta shook her head. "No, just stay right there. I'll be back in a moment."

They left the room.

Hiro slammed her head on the book in front of her.

"Ugh, and she's gone. Wow..."

 _"Hey Hiro... I'm back. Mom and dad told me to stop coming around this place, but I had to see you again."_

Hiro smiled. She loved it when Eiji came to visit. She would never tell the others about him though, they'd think she was crazy! Eiji was a ghost, so no one else could see him. For some reason, Hiro could.

"Hey Eiji. I'm sorry your parents are giving you such a hard time. This place is so boring though..."

He laughed. "What!? No, this place is far from boring. Where I live? Now that's boring."

She sighed. "Well, now you're here... So make yourself comfy, or something."

He looked at her with concern. He never liked to see her sad or displeased about anything, and if it was something he'd said, he'd try with all of his might to fix it.

"Are you alright?" He asked. "I didn't say something to upset you, did I?"

She shook her head. "No, it's just... I would love to see where you're from. I bet it's pretty chil- ...nice. I bet it's really nice."

Hiro felt very comfortable around Eiji, and didn't feel the need to show off as much.

He smiled. "Yes, in some ways, it's very nice. The thing is, I always here stories about my parent's adventures in this place. I just want to do something new for a change, you know?"

She gave a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, join the club. I have to finish reading this eight thousand page dictionary... It sucks."

He shook his head. "I don't understand why you can't just talk to them like you do to me... You wouldn't have this problem as often."

She looked down. "You're different than them though... It's the same reason you won't tell your parents about those adventures you want. It's just that... I'm always stuck doing things like this, because no one has time to actually talk to me."

He frowned. "I wish I could show you where I live too, but that's waaaay against the rules..."

She laughed. "Yeah, no kidding. How many rules do you have anyway?"

He grinned. "Well, more than you do, that's for sure!"

Shisuta was taking longer than usual, so Hiro figured she had some time to kill.

"Hey, I have an idea! We should pull out the chess set again! You were a real challenge, and we didn't have time to finish last time."

He nodded eagerly. "That's a great idea! My dad and I were practising the other day, and he was so surprised when I'd beaten him."

Her face fell.

 _I wish my dad would play chess with me..._

She perked up again, before Eiji could notice.

She walked up to the cabinet, and unlocked the padlocked safe code that she had cracked when she was six. She pulled out only the chess set, and began to set up the board.

"So will you be black, or white?" She asked.

He rolled his eyes and smiled. "You know I always pick white."

She had met Eiji when she was seven. She was messing with the chess board, when she saw him staring at her.

She smiled as she remembered his reaction to her seeing him, and her reaction when he told her no one else could. He had taught her how the game worked, and she picked up on it like a fish to water.

She saw he was going to use his queen this round, she could tell from his first move. She moved her next piece accordingly.

He grinned. "Good move..."

They had been playing for a while, and it was close. They could both for see a draw, if that were even possible. Though neither of them would admit it.

"Just face it, I'm going to win." Said Hiro.

He shook his head. "No, I know I can still move something, just give me moment..."

The door clicked open, and they both jumped. Hiro his the chess board behind her, the pieces now scattered.

Her dad stepped in front of her.

"I-I... It was already open, I swear!"

She hung her head... She was so busted.

"Who were you playing with...?" He asked.

She looked up at him. It wasn't her dad, it was his brother.

"Um... No one, just myself." She lied.

He laughed. "Yes, because you were talking to yourself, telling yourself to give up the round."

She looked down nervously.

...

I looked down at the board, and smiled.

"That was my first chess set you know..."

I knelt down next to her, and picked up the scattered pieces.

"Where is the person you were playing with?" He asked.

"Wh-What person...? Like I said, I..."

He heard a boy's voice. "It's just Kahn, you can tell him. It's not like he can tell my parents now anyway..."

I jumped with surprise. "Eiji? Is that you?"

"You can hear me!?" He exclaimed. "Please don't tell mom and dad! Can you even...? I don't know, just don't tell them..."

So this is where he'd been off to, playing chess with my Niece.

I couldn't help but laugh. "I see! That's my Niece you know, and if she's anything like I was, she may prove quite a challenge."

"Wait?" Asked Hiro. "You know Eiji, and you you can hear him? I thought I was the only one here who could see Eiji..."

Right. How could she see him?

"That is because Eiji is a spirit, like I once was. I can only hear him though, but you can see him..."

"Yeah, I've actually been visiting her for two years or so." Said Eiji. "Kahn and my parents were friends."

"Oh okay..." Hiro said softly. "Just don't tell on him, he's really not hurting anything, I swear."

I sighed. "Even if I could, there's nothing anyone can do stop you really..."

I sat in front of her. "Can you... See more than just Eiji?"

She looked down. "Well... There's... No, I don't-"

"You can trust him." Eiji said. "He might be able to help you."

I was curious. "Help...? Who else are you seeing?"

She looked up at me. "How many brothers do you have besides my dad?"

Brothers... She couldn't mean...

"There is one more." I said. "But I wouldn't consider him a brother. He has been dead for some time now."

She nodded shakily. "That makes sense..."

I put a hand on her shoulder. "When did you see him?" I asked.

"At first it was only in dreams." She said. "There were some nights when I was young when the dreams were so bad, I woke up and hurled everywhere. Ask my dad, it was pretty scary... When I was about five, he started bothering me when I was awake. Eiji showed up when I was seven, and when he caught your evil twin, he sent him away. He doesn't come around as much, as long as Eiji's close."

"That's why I have to come back and check on her so much." Eiji said. "She's my friend, and I don't like it when demons pick on her."

I sighed. "You should tell your parents Eiji, handling a demon of that caliber was impressive. It could also become very dangerous."

"I've kept her safe for years!" Eiji protested. "I can handle it on my own."

He really had no idea, did he?

"Do you realize that if you are too careless, you could get stuck here? You would never be able to go home. He could be waiting for an opening like that, and then both of you would be in danger."

Hiro went pale. "Maybe he's right Eiji... I still want to see you, but I don't want you to get hurt."

"So you think I should tell them? Well okay... Just give me few days then, I need to prepare for the wrath..."

"Does your dad get that mad at you?" She asked.

I smiled. "Try, his mother."

"Yeah, he knows what I'm talking about..." He said. "She can get really scary!"

I laughed. "Well, as long as you tell her she'll be fine. Well... Let's just leave it at, it's better that you tell her then for her to find out."

"Don't worry, I'll get on that!" He exclaimed. "Just... Give me a few days, really..."

Hiro laughed. "You're so overdramatic sometimes."

I stood. "Well, I'd best be off."

"Wait, what's going on?" Hiro asked. "I know something's up, because Nina and Shisuta left in a hurry. Shisuta hasn't been back like she said she would, and Shisuta's NEVER late."

She was smart. She was anylitical like me, which explained the skillfully cracked padlock.

She knew, but it was best not to tell her now. It would only worry her.

"Yes, there is something wrong. All I can tell you now is to not stray far from here. You should be fine if you do that."

She sighed with annoyance. "Ugh, no one tells me anything..."

I smiled. "It will be handled soon. Nothing too exciting I assure you..."

I walked out.

I hated lying to her like that, but this wasn't something a girl should be worrying about at her age. Not exciting? Well, try terrifying.

I just hope we're ready.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Nina Files

It was dark, and everyone seemed to be asleep. Well, everyone except Nina and Shisuta.

Shisuta had been accompanying Nina, or rather, Luna, for some time now. It started as a means to obtain more information on Nina's condition, but had evolved into a true partnership.

She had been travelling with Luna for eight years now, and had learned much about their cause. It was a cause she was willing to fight for, and one that the others weren't aware of.

"How are you holding up?" Asked Luna? "I know you never get much sleep as it is, but you look exhausted."

Shisuta nodded. "I am... Kahn came back today, and he brought news of some horrible creatures coming to take our home. On top of the usual work, it has been quite exhausting..."

"He's alive then?" She asked.

"Yes, he is." Shisuta replied. "And what's more, those creatures he described sounded a lot like the ones we saw looming around the last maze."

Luna's eyes widened. "Those creatures guarding the gates... If they are attacking this place soon, do you think the Kurayami is in on it?"

"I don't know..." Said Shisuta gravely. "But I know there's some connection there."

Luna looked at her. "Well, we're going to check in at camp, and we can talk to our spies. Remember, you will address me as Luna when we're there."

She nodded. "Understood."

Nina was not aware of her activities after dark. She did not know this camp, and they did not know her. Nina went into mazes and was able to infiltrate them. When she started messing up on missions, Luna started running the program. All of the children she had saved and trained only knew Luna.

They left through the front door, trying to make as little noise as possible. They hadn't been caught once in the course of eight years, what could go wrong now?

...

Karo had a hard time sleeping tonight. His nerves were worked to their edge with work, training, and the stress about 100 Leviathans coming to feast on their corpses.

There was no way he was sleeping tonight.

...No way.

He saw Shisuta and Nina walk into the lobby.

He his behind a pillar, hoping his wings wouldn't give him away. Wings were horrible for hiding, curse these poor genetics! He wasn't even good at flying...

He heard her walk outside the front door.

What were they up to...?

 _(Karo, where are you going?)_

 _I'm following Shisuta. She left the building with Nina, and I think they're up to something..._

 _(Hold on, I'll go with you. It's not safe to be wandering alone right now...)_

 _I'm already outside, so you might want to hurry._

 _(Got it, I'll make sure I catch up with you.)_

 _Alright... Just be careful._

There was no point in hiding anything when it came to Karo and Haruka.

Well, at least not from each other.

The mental connection they shared had strengthened over time. Most times, even if one was up to something, the other understood their reasoning perfectly. Whenever one was in on it, the other was too.

Karo kept a safe distance from them, but stayed close enough to pick up on any conversation.

"So how has their training been progressing?" Shisuta asked.

"Well enough." Nina replied. "Though the nocturnal schedule is a lot to adjust to for some..."

"It is what you have to work with Luna." Shisuta said. "Besides, some have been in the maze so long, this shouldn't phase them."

A maze...? They weren't talking about one of those mazes, were they?

"Yes, that's true." Said Luna solemnly. "But our cause is to prevent that from happening. No one should be forced to suffer in that torture chamber longer than they have to. Especially not a child."

It was one of those mazes... What was Shisuta doing getting involved in this!?

Haruka slipped in beside Karo.

 _(I'm here, and about the maze... They're definitely up to something.)_

 _I know, but why wouldn't Shisuta tell me about it? Especially now! It's not safe to be walking around at night, even with all of us here... What could she be thinking!?_

 _(I don't know, but we have company.)_

He looked to his right, and saw two men following Shisuta and Nina. They hadn't noticed them yet.

 _(good thing I brought these along.)_

Haruka pulled out two black bladed daggers.

She slipped in behind the two men, and stabbed one after the other in the spinal joint at the back of the neck. They were dead before they had even sensed the danger.

Haruka was what you would call a close combat assassin.

She silently moved back to Karo.

 _(Who do you think they were?)_

 _I don't know... But why were they closing in on Shisuta?_

 _(Let's keep following them and find out.)_

They followed them for another ten minutes, and came across a dimly lit camp.

There were many children there, some younger, and some older. They were talking amongst themselves, smiling and laughing. A lot of them were training in a spear wielding style. You could tell which ones had just recently left the maze. You could see it in their eyes...

...a deadness. Cold and lifeless.

But there were so many others with smiling determination... and those who were gaining this same hope.

They were all together, like a family.

Karo felt himself tearing up. He didn't know why he was thinking about this now, but this is something he wished he could have had...

 _(Karo... I know it hurts, and I'm sorry... but look at them. They look so happy, all encouraging each other. If this is what Shisuta was up to, then I think it's wonderful.)_

 _Yeah... It sure is. She's so amazing..._

 _(Still that into her, huh? Well, I get it... but don't get your hopes up. You'll get hurt.)_

 _I know but... I can't help it. She's just so..._

A twig snapped under his foot.

"Who's there!?" Luna yelled readying her spear.

The children grabbed large round shields and spears.

"Spartan circle formation!" Yelled an older boy.

They were quickly surrounded in a shield wall, spears pointed at them in all directions. They put their hands up.

"State your purpose." Said a young man who looked about fifteen.

"We weren't trying to cause any trouble!" Karo exclaimed.

"Right!" Haruka agreed. "If anything we were helping you. We were following our friends here to make sure they were safe... They were being closed in on by two men, and we disposed of them... Please stop pointing spears at us... Please?"

"You might want to listen to her." Said a booming voice.

They looked up, and saw Boh standing above them.

"B-Boh!? How did you?... Oh you turned into a mouse and followed us that way..."

Haruka sighed. "That was cool and all, but they're the ones with the spears. You might want to calm down..."

"Hold your weapons..." Said a voice. It was Shisuta.

"I know these people, they are not our enemies."

They put down their spears and stepped aside, letting Shisuta through.

She walked up to Karo, she looked angry.

"What are you doing here!? It's not safe outside, and this is none of your concern!"

"Really!?" He snapped. "Well I could say the same thing to you! I like what you're doing here, and I don't judge that. It's the keeping secrets part that really pisses me off! I was trapped in that maze for a whole MONTH STRAIGHT! I had to avoid the sweepers, because for a while? I didn't stand a chance, my only option was survival! Apparently this is none of my business at ALL!"

Haruka grabbed him by the shoulders and turned to face him.

"Calm down Karo... I know. Just calm down..."

She turned to face Shisuta. She was glaring.

"We have just as much right to be here as you do. Don't act like you're so superior, when you've never even been in the maze."

Shisuta snapped. "Yes, and you'd know anything about it!? You were just a child! No, an infant! You probably don't even remem-!"

Haruka swung her fist at Shisuta, landing a blow at her nose.

"How DARE YOU!?" She yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"YOU-!"

"THAT, is ENOUGH!" Luna barked.

She walked up to Haruka. "You, young lady... You shouldn't be here..."

She turned toward Shisuta.

"And you. Don't EVER talk to Haruka like that! She has seen some of the worst those mazes have to offer. This is an insult Shisuta."

Looking at Shisuta now, Karo felt horrible. Blood running from her nose, and tears streaming down her face.

He never wanted this... Not any of it.

Luna walked up to him.

"Karo... I'm truly sorry."

That's all she said.

She walked away, and the others followed suit. Shisuta shot them all a final glare, but teared up again when she looked at Karo.

She ran off, and into a tent.

"Let's just go home." Boh said. "You three obviously have a lot you need to sleep on."

They all walked home, and a heavy feeling fell over all of them.

Karo felt the weight of the world on his chest, remembering Shisuta's eyes. The violet eyes he wished he could gaze into for an eternity, filled with pain.

He held in his tears, and retired to his room.

His sleep was numb, and there were no dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Aftermath

Hiro was sitting across from Kahn, the only thing between her and victory? A single chess board. More specifically, Kahn's Queen had her in Check. Soon to be Checkmate, but Hiro could squirm with the best of them. She moved a pawn, and blocked his next move.

He moved his queen and captured a pawn.

"Check." He said.

She could feel her eye twitching.

She saw that the rook was next to the king, and hadn't been moved. There was a pawn that was conveniently ahead of it.

She smirked, and went for the castle, switching places with the king and the rook. This way, even if he attempted to invade her little corner, she could capture his queen.

The perfect escape...

"You know you can't do that, right?" Said Kahn.

"But... How? The rook hasn't moved, and there are no pieces between the king and the rook!"

He grinned. "You're in check, so you can't castle."

She groaned with irritation.

"Fine." She said, undoing her last move, and moving a pawn instead.

He found a way around the pawn.

"Checkmate." He said.

She gaped, seeing the opening she had left.

"Wow... You're good."

He smiled. "Give it 200 years, you'll catch up."

She rolled her eyes. "That's a long time Kahn..."

He laughed. "Perhaps it is for you."

She looked at the clock.

"Oh, that's right! I need to meet with Shisuta, gotta go!"

She ran out of the room.

...

I smiled.

She may have lost to me, but she had a lot of talent... I wonder if Kuhn knows about this?

...I wonder if he knows about Kaihn...

He felt a presence.

He looked over his shoulder, and saw Nina staring at him. She quickly looked down at a book, avoiding eye contact.

"Nina, are you alright?" I asked.

She seemed to sink further into her book.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She said in monotone.

I walked over to her table, and sat down next to her. We were in the library, so there was no one to disturb us.

I sighed. "What's the matter?"

She slumped. "I... I don't know. I feel guilty about something... Something with Shisuta. She's looked down all day, and I don't know why... I just have this feeling I did something wrong."

She looked up at me. "I've been remembering... I've been... remembering you. Who are you...? Where do I know you?"

She was remembering, and this time she was herself. Could she be putting together the pieces on her own?

"What do you remember?" I asked.

She held her head in her hands.

"I remember... I just..." Her eyes widened.

"Wait, hold on! You... No, wait..."

I saw bits of Violet slipping out. The one that mad her forget as soon as she remembered.

She seemed to done suppress her, and keep trying.

"There was... There was a boy... Yes, a boy. I never..."

She grabbed her hair, and held her head again. She was shaking...

"I failed... He was the only... Just like... Me. The only survivor!"

I put an arm on he shoulder, and she slammed her fist to the table.

"TWO YEARS!" She screamed. "Just... Just hiding... I was too small... I was forgotten. FORGOTTEN!" I DO NOT EXIST!" She yelled.

I tried to hold her back. "Nina! Just calm down. Talk to me, and not just yourself. I'm-"

She grabbed my shoulders, tears streaming down her eyes.

"Don't give me that kind of kindness. I failed you. I was going to come back, but I forgot. They were able to hurt you for so long... Because I forgot."

She looked out at nothing.

"Why!? Why would you just sell your own child!? HUH!? ANSWER ME! I HATE YOU! I swear... I swear to god. I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL EVERY LAST ONE!"

I physically restrained her.

"Nina. There's no one there. Look into my eyes... Just look into them."

She did.

She leaned into me, and began to sob.

"Why did you save me...?" She whispered.

"I forgot you... I'm just like them... You were... You were just like me. Why then? Why didn't you let me die...?"

I wrapped my arms around her.

"No... Nina, you're nothing like them. You saved me, so I saved you. That's how this works..."

She calmed down. "Thank you." She said. "It's still unclear, but I know you..."

She glanced at the chess board.

"Do you want to play another round?" She sniffed.

I nodded, how could I refuse?

We set up the board, and began the game. She insisted on black, so I gave it to her.

I moved my first pawn, and she moved hers.

I smiled. "No need to be so hasty. That makes you lose."

She grinned. "We'll just see..."

I moved another pawn, setting up my strategy.

She started to move her queen.

I blinked. "I-Interesting choice..."

I moved my king to the side, to protect myself.

She made a diagonal movement, moving across the board.

I was physically sweating.

I moved a pawn two spaces up, to inhibit another diagonal movement.

She moved straight down.

She smiled. "Checkmate."

What!? That was only four moves! No ones beaten me that fast since...

...Well, ever.

She smirked. "Give it six thousand years, you'll catch up."

Six thousand years? Now THAT was a long time.

I shook my head. "That was impressive."

She blushed. "Well... It's not THAT impressive, I mean... I mean anyone could learn... Six thousand years...? I'm still so, I mean... It's not that old, really!"

I laughed. "Six thousand years IS a long..."

Hold on, six thousand years!? How long have these mazes been around!?

"H-How long have you been... Infiltrating these mazes...?"

She smiled sadly. "Long enough to become a black market legend, and to be hunted constantly..."

Her face became bitter. "That never stops me though. I'll finish this, even if it kills me... and it will."

She stood, and an empty look filled her eyes.

"I'm going to talk to Shisuta now. Luna owes her an apology..."

She walked out of the room.

I was stunned. She was becoming aware of her personas, and I had become aware of something horrible. These mazes weren't just for bets.

No, they had been around far too long to sustain if it were only that.

There was only one possible explanation.

It was a cult, and the children were sacrifices.


	5. Chapter 5

****Hello, I found a song that perfectly describes the maze\maze survivors.**

 **It's called 'It Has Begun' by Starset.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=O1asGKxmS34

 **You know what to do. :)**

 **Enjoy Chapter 5! :)****

Chapter 5: Unexpected Guests, A Hiro Falls

Hiro was sitting at the 'Altar of Knowledge' again. She was now on page twenty.

She was really distracted, because Shisuta had been moping all day.

"Shisuta, what's going on? Like, I know something's going on, and no one's spit it out yet! So what's up!?"

"Hiro, not now." She said. "Just keep reading."

"If not now? Then when!?" She yelled.

"Because I'm getting sick of everyone _treating_ me-!"

"Like a child!?" She snapped. "Well, you are a child! So stop trying to act like a teenager!"

She stopped, but it was too late. Hiro had already heard her

"Hiro... I-"

"Oh, just CAN IT!" She yelled, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I thought maybe you could understand how I feel! You were lonely too... Well, look where I was WRONG!"

She ran out of the room.

 _Dad's always working._

 _Mom's working too._

 _None of them stop and look at me..._

 _...All Karo cares about is Shisuta, and Haruka only cares about Karo!_

 _Shisuta doesn't understand! None of them do!_

 _I bet dad doesn't know that I can do algebra equations... He just harps me about my speech._

 _Doesn't know I can play chess._

 _Doesn't know I can pick locks._

 _Doesn't know about my demons!_

 _Doesn't know I can see ghosts!_

 _Doesn't know about Eiji!_

 _HE DOESN'T EVEN KNOW ME!_

 _...He... He never takes the time..._

She stopped at a pillar near the front door, and sobbed.

Eiji showed up.

"Hiro! There you are, I...Hiro...? What's wrong?"

She shook her head, and was about to speak, when a knock sounded on the door.

She dried her eyes. "Hold on."

Why was someone knocking on the front door? It was an open resort, and anyone could come in.

She opened the door. "You can come in, you kn..."

She froze.

There were two red glowing monsters at the door.

One laughed. "Glad we have your permission! Say, is there room for ninety eight more of us!?"

She stuttered. "I-I-I'm sorry, b-but groups that large requ-quire a-!"

A flash of light filled the room.

"Hiro! Run!" Eiji yelled.

She ran. She hoped that Eiji could handle them, but she had never been so scared in her life!

She saw her parents walking into the lobby.

"M-MOM! DAD!"

They looked over at her.

"Hiro!? What's-!?"

She grabbed both of their hands, and ran toward the stairs.

"Just RUN! DON'T GO IN THERE!"

Kuhn stopped her.

"Hiro. I need you to calm down, and go upstairs. Find Shisuta and the others, and tell them what's going on."

She began to cry. "But... You can't fight them! They'll destroy you!"

He wrapped her in a hug stroking her hair, Linn did the same.

"Hiro, we'll be okay." She said. "We'll deal with them, and we'll be right behind you."

They heard a crash, as the beasts drew nearer.

They pushed her into the stairwell.

"Run! We'll be right behind you!" Kuhn yelled.

She picked herself up, and ran.

She ran into Shisuta half way up.

"Sh-Shisuta! Monsters! Monsters in the lobby!"

Her eyes went wide. "I'll let the others know! You go back to the room with my Altar. There's a secret compartment under the desk that I'm sure you'll fit in. Pull the thread, and close the door behind you!"

She ran to find the others.

Hiro ran into the room with her Altar in it. She looked under the desk and found her secret compartment.

Then she heard the windows break, and stood. There were more of those monsters in the room.

Hiro couldn't hide now, because the worst spot to keep your king open for attack, was in a corner.

It was like a real life chess game. Yes, that's it.

Except she was the only piece on her side, and there were 100 more on the other side.

No sweat. She just needed to think.

At that moment, the world seemed to stop.

 _The side of the room with windows, and the desk, are both off limits. If I run right out of the room, I have to find a way to lose them fast, or they'll catch me for sure._

 _The shadows were they're domain, so think of it like being a bishop piece on a white square._

 _Judging from the angle of the window, they're all out front, besides the two that are here. If I can lose these guys, I could make a break for the other side..._

 _But the only way I can do that without revealing myself is through a back window._

 _I'm high up, so I have to climb down._

 _It's a risky card, but it's the only one I've got._

She ran toward the back, the creatures close behind her.

She feigned an attempt to escape through a room, and they fell for it.

They slipped in front of her, and attempted a blow.

She slammed the door and jumped as she saw claws slice through it.

This door's locks had been under repair, because it could only be locked and unlocked from the outside. This means it was also vacant, and a good way to buy some time.

She ran to the back window and lifted it.

She stepped on the ledge, and her heart began to pound as she clutched to the back wall for dear life. She could see the fog on the ground below her, and felt the wind shaking her balance.

That was a long way to fall.

She crouched on the ledge, and attempted to grab hold of some thicker ivy below her.

The creatures burst through the door, and in order to hide...

...She fell.

What was she thinking? Well, she didn't know. She wasn't thinking.

The world seemed to moving more slowly... and everything became bright.

 _I remember when I saw dad training with his kunai knives when I was little... I was so amazed, even though he was just being a show off..._

 _Mom... She makes the best Lo Mein in the entire resort. It's even better than Karo's, though he complains less... Maybe that's why dad always debated with her, because she's so easy to mess with..._

 _"Hiro!? No!"_

 _Maybe... Maybe I should have just asked them..._

 _"Hiro!"_

 _I'm sure they would have loved playing chess with me..._

"HIRO!"

something tackled her in mid air, and the world went fast again.

Hiro flew across the grass, eventually skidding across the ground, and running into a hard wooden surface.

She heard a crack, but she feel any evident breaks. That was probably going to leave a nasty bruise though.

She looked down, and saw Eiji...

...It was Eiji.

Eiji... Eiji, in the flesh!

What!?

He was unconscious, his eyes fluttering.

She shook him with her right arm. "Eiji!? Eiji, wake up!"

He sat up, grabbing his head. "Oww... What is this...? What's happening?"

"I... I don't know. What are you doing here? Aren't you an angel or something?"

His eyes went wide, and he began to stare at his hands.

"I... I'm... Alive? No, this isn't... THIS ISN'T POSSIBLE!"

Kahn's words started running through his head.

 _"You could get stuck here..."_

 _No._

 _"Stuck, Eiji..."_

 _No... It's not... I couldn't be..._

 _"Stuck... unable to go home..."_

"Th-Th- THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!" He yelled.

Hiro looked at him, a complete mess...

 _This is all my fault!_

 _You idiot! Hiro, you shouldn't have fallen!_

 _...I should have been smarter._

She began to cry. "I'm sorry... Eiji, I'm sorry!"

He looked at her, and saw her arm...

How could she not feel that!?

 _If that bump on the head hurt that much, how can she not...?_

She looked down, and saw it. Her arm was completely mangled.

A bone in her elbow had stretched out so far, it stretched the skin at least four inches.

Her eyes went wide, and seemed to glass over.

She started screaming, then curled up on the ground, and started shaking.

"M-My arm... My arm... Eiji... EIJI! MY ARM!"

He had no idea what to do...

...He had no healing abilities anymore, and had never dreamed of this current situation.

They couldn't go back to the resort yet, because there were still Leviathans everywhere.

That's right, they had to move away from the resort. They could be found if they stayed here, and Hiro couldn't defend herself right now.

He lifted her up.

She let out a painful yelp, and started to sob.

"I'm sorry Hiro..." He said. "I know it hurts, but we have to go."

He ran with her, and carried her away from the gardens. They were off of the resort grounds, but he stopped when he couldn't see the roof anymore.

He set her down.

She was hyperventilating, and he could tell she was scared.

 _I wonder if I can still use that spell father showed me...? Maybe..._

"Hiro, look me in the eyes..." He said.

He turned her face toward his, and her eyes focused.

Her breathing slowed, and she looked at me.

She was still crying.

"Eiji... My arm hurts... It really hurts!"

He couldn't help her with the pain. His eyes teared up.

Eiji had never felt so hopeless.

"I can't stop the pain... I'm sorry Hiro... I-"

"Well hello children!" Said a voice.

Two heavily armed men stood above them, mocking grin's and malice filled their expressions.

"I'm afraid you're going to have to come with us."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: The Search

The battle in the resort had gone surprisingly well.

Only two more managed to get inside, and someone was able to detain them.

Granted, fifty got away...

...but that was only because they were already in retreat.

Shisuta had been practicing her advanced Chemical Warfare bomb craft, so the ones who were swallowed by her cloud died quickly. The others didn't want to stick around for that. None of the customers or staff died in the raid, and our customers were impressed with our dedication and services. They left large tips and great reviews.

An astonishing success.

After the lobby and courtyard had been cleared of poison, everyone was safe to roam again.

"Wow! We made money on this!? Hell yeah!" Linn was ecstatic. "We should find Hiro, and tell her that everyone's safe! And with all the extra profit, well... I was thinking we should buy her something for her birthday something really nice. What do you think Kuhn?"

Kuhn smiled. "Yeah, she'll be really excited. Wow... Ten years old. She's growing up so fast!"

Linn punched him in the shoulder.

"No way! She's not growing up, take it back!"

She grinned, then laughed.

Kuhn laughed too. "It's so hard to believe... It's like yesterday she was three and swinging off of Boh's hair.

Boh grabbed his hair. "Painful memories those... But you had to love the kid!"

"She is upstairs hiding in the Altar room." Said Shisuta. "Just call her name, and I am sure she will come out."

Kuhn nodded. "Will do."

He walked upstairs, and opened the door to the Altar room...

He froze.

The windows were broken.

"Hiro? Hun, are you in here?"

No answer.

He remembered the two Leviathans locked in the room.

Horrific fantasies played through his mind, as he imagined Hiro locked in there with those monsters.

He ran to that room.

"Hiro!? Say something! HIRO!"

They all came running when they heard him. When they found him, he was tearing the room apart looking for her.

"What's going on!?" Linn exclaimed. "Where's Hiro!?"

"She wasn't in the Altar room, and the windows were broken!" He yelled.

"But there's no body!?" Kahn asked frantically. "You didn't see a body!? What about blood!?"

He shook his head. "No, none of those things! But what does that-!?"

"The back window is open!" Shisuta exclaimed. "But there's no sign of Hiro!"

"That means she's probably still alive." Said Kahn. "Leviathan's broadcast their carnage, and if Hiro would have fallen from this height, she would not have survived."

"Let's go find her then!" Said Karo. "She may be alive, but she may have also run into trouble. The Leviathan's scattered, so you can't be too safe."

"I agree." Said Nina. "If we leave now, we could make it in time!"

"Let's go then!" Said Linn. "I mean NOW. Let's GO!"

...

We began searching immediately, trying to find traces of Hiro.

I noticed something on the grass a ways out from the resort. I knelt down, and looked at it.

There appeared to be drag marks across the grass. No... They were different, like someone had slid across the ground at high speeds.

Something Eiji had said crossed my mind...

 _"I've gotten so fast! Look! I'm the fastest flyer in the area, dad said so himself!"_

He was six then, and he was fast. No doubt he had gotten faster since then.

Eiji... What happened to you and Hiro?

He got stuck here, didn't he? Not even his parents can save him now. They can't return because they have died here once.

Eiji was never born here, so it's always been a risk.

This place is the worst of spirit traps, and it seems Eiji has fallen into it.

I know one thing for sure now, and one thing only...

...There's more than one set of parents scared for their children now.

"What is it brother?" Kuhn asked frantically. "Have you found something?"

I nodded. "They were headed in this direction, past the old pens, if I'm correct."

Kuhn stopped. "Wait, they!? There's someone with her? But we're all accounted for!"

"It's someone her and I know. I don't have time to explain it right now, but I will when we find Hiro."

He nodded. "Right, let's find her then."

It was getting dark, and we had followed the footprints leading off the grounds...

"Hold on!" Said Nina, stopping. "Shisuta, remember this? This is close to one of the Kurayami's main headquarters!"

Shisuta froze.

"Wait... You don't mean...?"

They both started running.

We followed close behind.

The Kurayami... Please don't let that be what I think it is!

We stopped. There was trace amounts of blood on the ground, and there seemed to have been a struggle.

 _"EIJI! No... NO! WHERE ARE YOU!?"_

It was Chihiro's voice. Maybe if I project my inner voice loud enough, she can here me.

 _I think he's stuck. He was trying to save my Niece, and his friend. they may have both been taken._

 _"Taken? Where? Is he alright!? I need to know what's going on."_

That was Haku. He was trying to keep calm, but even he sounded stressed.

 _That's what we're trying to find out. We suspect they've been taken to a nearby... Well, maze. Do you see anything?_

 _"A maze!? No... Not Eiji! Please... No..."_

I felt my own heart ache as I heard Chihiro start to weep.

 _"Chihiro... I think I see it just ahead. Eiji... He'll be alright. We'll make sure of it..."_

Haku was trying to comfort her, but I could hear his composure breaking. I could hear the pain in his voice.

 _Don't you worry now, we'll try our hardest on this end!_

 _"Thank you Kahn..." Said Haku._

They had left, no doubt to find Eiji.

I heard a humming in the direction of the maze, and ran past Nina.

"I know where we're going, so I'll go ahead." I said.

Shisuta nodded. "Alright, but be careful."

Nina ran beside me. "I'll make sure to keep up!" She said.

We raced toward the hedges, and stopped.

There were Leviathan's guarding the grounds.

We quickly hid behind some trees, and pulled the others with us.

"What are Leviathans doing at the maze!?" I whispered frantically.

"It's not as if we can blow them away this time! There are CHILDREN in there, and Hiro is one of them!"

Nina went pale. "Oh yeah... That. I forgot about the Leviathans..."

"Are you serious!?" Kuhn whispered. "Leviathans are guarding it!?"

"Yeah I guess." Linn said. "But our daughter's in there! There's no way in hell I'm letting some damn puny Leviathan's stop me!"

She stepped out from behind the tree.

"HEY! MONSTER MOUTH!?" She yelled. They all looked at her.

"Yeah, that's right! I'm talking to all of you ASS HAT'S!"

We all stepped out.

"I guess we're doing this now!" Said Kuhn.

Two ran toward her, and she grabbed both of them by their throats. She squeezed until their head's popped. One more ran at her, and she grabbed it by the face and started slamming it's head into the tree.

"You! Stupid! Damn! MONSTERS! YOU'LL ALL DIE! Because NO BODY MESSES WITH MY HIRO!"

She slammed the mutilated Leviathan on the ground, and let out a bloody war cry.

"So WHO'S NEXT!?" She yelled.

They all ran off.

Linn fell to her knees, clutching her torso. Kuhn ran to her.

"Linn!? Hey, let me see..."

She shook her head, covering the wound.

"Linn... Please! Don't be so... That's... THAT'S A LOT OF BLOOD! Shisuta! Do you have some serum left!?"

She nodded.

She pulled out a serum, and injected it into her torso.

Linn seemed to relax a little as the wound healed. She tried to go toward the maze, but stumbled as she stood.

"Linn, just stay here! You've lost a lot of blood, and you shouldn't be moving... Please love..."

"Kuhn, you'd better find her..." She said softly.

She began to cry softly. "You'd better bring her back alive! Please! Just... Let her be alive..."

Kuhn began to lose his composure, sobbing for a moment. He took in slow breaths.

"I'll get her back if it kills me." He said.

He gave her a soft kiss. "Try not to move love, we'll be back."

He stood, and joined the rest of us.

It was time to infiltrate the maze, and we needed all of the able bodies we could get.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Separated

It was dark.

Hiro was lightly cradling her arm, and every second seemed agonizing for her.

Eiji wrapped an arm around her, making sure not to touch her broken arm. He found that in this world, physical comfort did a lot to help someone.

Hiro welcomed the embrace, leaning into him and crying more.

"I'm so scared..." She whispered. "My arm feels like it has a heartbeat, and it hurts."

"I'm sorry." He sniffed. "I'm sorry I can't heal you..."

She shook her head. "You already saved my life... Your parents probably hate me, for taking you away."

He smiled sadly. "No... They'd probably love you. I wish... I wish I could go home, and take you to visit."

"What's it like...?" She asked softly. "What's it like where you live? Tell me Eiji..."

He held her closer.

"It's well... It's always warm. The sky is different than yours, because it's always glowing with this beautiful light..."

"Keep going..." She said.

He smiled. "And... And there are lots of tree's. In the spring, they all bloom with flowers, filling the air with... I don't know. It almost smells like honey, but more flowery... There's so many you'd be sick of them in a week."

His smile became warmer.

"Mom... She never gets sick of them... She would just lay in the field, and there'd be flowers in her hair... She's so beautiful..."

Hiro felt a warm smile cross her lips, momentarily distracting her from her arm...

The door swung open, and they jumped.

"Get up kids, it's time to head to the arena."

Hiro stood, and backed away. Eiji stepped in front of her.

"Stay away from her." He said warningly.

The man laughed. "Really kid? Are we doing this again?"

He walked up to Eiji, and punched him in his shoulder. The shoulder had been recently injured, and the same man who had plunged his blade into it punched him now.

It knocked him down for a moment, but he jumped back up.

"I'm serious! Stay away from her!" He yelled.

Eiji was terrified, but he would never let this man harm Hiro.

The man lunged at Eiji, but Hiro's foot shot out, knocking him into a wall.

He stood, and laughed.

"Damn Girll! You're all kind's of busted up, and still coming back! And with a blow like that!? I know where I'm putting my money!"

Hiro wanted to kick him in the head, but she had started to feel dizzy, and decided to try cooperating.

"What IS the arena exactly? What's it's purpose?" She asked.

He smirked. "You're a different sort, aren't you? Most don't ask questions like that until after their fifth round at least."

He shrugged. "Well, you could say it's... A right of passage. We've all been in it, and all the grown ups you see? Yeah, we all passed. Favored by the gods they say..."

"More like demons." Eiji said bitterly.

"I haven't met these 'gods' your talking about, and I don't want to either!"

"Shut the HELL UP!" He barked. "No one likes a snotty little heretic! They end up god food here!"

"Just listen to him." Hiro said.

"If we fight him, We're going to die! We won't have a chance! Let's just go with what he says..."

He smirked. "Well little girl, you just saved his life..."

His face became close to hers, and his hand trailed her waist.

She felt herself shiver as he Nuzzled her neck.

"I think I like you... You're smart... Here, take this little advantage as a token of my gratitude. And make sure you both head to the arena..."

He gave her ear a small bite. She tensed.

"Your entrance is seven..." He whispered. "The heretic's is five."

He left the room, and Hiro just stood there. She was tense.

Eiji was practically shaking with fury. Also with fear.

Hiro stood frozen for a moment, then slid down and curled herself into a ball.

Eiji walked up to her... He wasn't sure how to react to what he just saw.

Hiro started shaking, and began to sob silently.

Eiji knelt down in front of her.

"H-Hiro..."

He held her face in his hand.

"Im so sorry... but we have to get up... What did he give you?"

She held the device loosely in her right hand. It looked like some sort of tracking device...

"Keep that, I guess..." He said.

"We need to get over to this... Arena."

"He said my entrance is seven, yours is five." She sounded monotone as she spoke.

They walked over to the arena, Hiro still cradled her arm painfully.

They approached a large maze, with at least fifty different entrances. Hiro and Eiji walked over to their assigned spots.

They looked at each other fearfully.

The other children seemed their age or older... They stared at Hiro curiously, then stared at Eiji. They seemed the most different out of the entire group.

 _"We do have an interesting group this time, don't we?_

Hiro and Eiji jumped as they heard the voice speaking to them in their thoughts.

 _" Well... It is the biggest arena of the year. So I'm not very surprised. Such potential... Such... Beauty in this struggle. As most of you know, there is only one rule in the Arena, but for those new comers, I'll reiterate. The first one to make it out of the maze and live, wins the round... Any questions?_

Hiro raised her right hand.

 _Yes! Honestly this never happens... Nice to see some fresh blood, and asking questions at that! The girl in entrance seven, what's your question?"_

"Yes, I have a question." She began. "You said, the first one to make it out of the maze AND live wins. You did not say the first one out alive wins. Did I hear you wrong? Or are you saying there can only be one winner?"

 _He laughed. "You're good! I've never seen fresh blood so smart! Yes, there can only be one survivor... The question is, will your injuries get in the way of your intelect? I could easily see someone like you winning a tournament like this, but your arm may just even the odds there!_

 _Any more questions...?"_

The other kids stared at her warily now.

 _Great, way to make Hiro a target. I bet he did that on purpose!_

Eiji was extremely worried about Hiro now. Not only were they going through separate entrances, if someone else found her before he did? She was finished.

 _No questions then?_

 _On your mark..._

 _Get set..._

 _GO!_

They all entered the maze. Eiji made sure to go toward entrance seven biasedly.

He needed to find Hiro, and he needed to find her first.


	8. Chapter 8

****The storyline is taking quite an interesting turn, well, at least I think so! I hope you're all enjoying my sequel, because I'm enjoying myself writing it for you.**

 **Read on, and Enjoy Chapter 8! :)****

Chapter 8: Invisible Wound

We all waited on Nina's signal.

She had changed into her child-like form, and began scouting the maze, looking for an opening for us to slip in...

She popped her head up.

"Alright, we're all clear!" She said.

"She is just such an adorable child!" Shisuta cooed, while climbing the hedge.

"No, really. She's impossible to stay mad at, especially in this form."

I still had a hard time wrapping my head around it...

Nina as a child?

 _(Well, I couldn't stay mad at her... Child or not...)_

 _Ah! Stop it! Stop it Kahn! I should not think such frivolous thoughts at a time like this..._

 _(Yes, like when she beat me at chess in merely four moves... Where was my mind then? Not on the board, that's for...)_

 _No. No, stop it! Just climb the stupid wall Kahn, you idiot..._

 _(Did I just refer to myself as an idiot? In the third person...?)_

 _Oh, just shut up... There's a first time for everything... I suppose._

I shook my head, and began climbing the wall with the rest of them.

Except for Boh and No-Face. All Boh had to do was turn into a mouse, and No-Face could just phase through the hedges.

Kuhn had a sustained look of immense worry on his face.

"She'll be fine." I told him. "They both will..."

He sighed. "I hope so Kahn... I hope so."

He didn't look very reassured.

...

Linn was sitting beneath the shade of the tree.

No Leviathans seemed to be roaming around. Well, they better not be.

"If... If I see another I'll-"

She began coughing violently. She knew what had happened, in fact, she felt it the moment she was struck. She had the taint, but this time, it was a different kind. A kind that she would half reject, like Kamachi and the normal taint.

She had snagged some of Shisuta's explosives when she wasn't looking.

She smiled. "I have an idea... Let's just walk in the front door, and blow their lobby sky high. That should cause enough commotion for them to escape... Yeah, I should-"

More coughing. She was beginning to feel really tired, and she knew that meant this would happen soon. She would never let herself turn into one of those monsters...

...Never.

If it meant endangering everyone she knew?

If it meant Kuhn would have to remember her like that?

Hiro... She could not see her mother as a monster.

No. She'd rather die and have to leave them, then let them suffer like that.

She stood, and walked toward the front.

"No... I'll mess up the damn lobby on my own. Then I'll find where they're running this place, and blow captain asshole's head off!"

She walked into the front door...

And all was chaos.

...

I was searching through every hedge wall, and every part of the maze. So far, no Hiro, and no Eiji.

"Kahn, I have a question." Kuhn said.

I looked at him. "What is it brother?"

He looked down. "I understand what you said about the fall from the window. There would be a lot of blood had she just fallen. You said the Leviathan's left carnage... How is that possible, when our bodies dissapear?"

I sighed. "Just be grateful it didn't happen to her. When a pure blooded Leviathan kills its pray, it eats half of it. The other half is left mutilated, and in a state of death. A state in which they are stuck in their corpses until they rot away... The victims can feel every second of it."

Kuhn went pale. "Th-That's horrible..."

I looked down. "Yes. It is very horrible..."

There was a commotion sounding near the lobby. People were screaming things like, "Who the hell is she!?" and, "Get that crazy broad away from me!" With a dash of. "I'm begging you! Not the other testical!"

Linn. It was definitely Linn.

Kuhn gaped, obviously catching on.

"Dammit! I told her not to move! ...Linn? What the hell...?"

I shook my head. "If she's causing that much damage, I'm sure she's fine."

"No, I'm not so sure." Said Kuhn. "She may have a temper, but she's not rash. Especially when it comes to Hiro."

"We cannot worry too much on that now." Said Shisuta.

She dragged us into a hedge wall. A child ran by, another followed, chasing him with a knife. They passed, and we were able to begin searching again.

"This is taking too long!" Karo exclaimed. "And I, for one, am very worried about Linn."

"I'm with Karo on this one." Said Haruka. "At this rate, we'll never find them."

"Well, we can't be seen!" Nina exclaimed. "We're outnumbered, and currently... Outclassed. What? Are we supposed to just confront an army of well armed men, children, and Leviathan's? Yeah, we'll just say, 'Hey, that kid belongs to us!' All threatening like. I'm sure they'll be cooperative and just peachy!"

"Hey!" Karo yelled. "I'm tired of your attitude! And why do you have to be such a BI-!"

"Don't finish that sentence." Shisuta said calmly, but quickly. She'd rather no one be fighting right now.

"Nina has a point. We can't just face them head on, or we'll all die. That means Hiro dies too. This is how Nina and I have always done this, and it IS effective."

"Fine..." Karo grumbled. "You're lucky that Shisuta actually makes sense."

He left it at that.

We continued our search. It was getting much later now, and even I was beginning to lose my composure.

We all searched, listening in silent dread as commotion rose within the building.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: A Rendezvous With Destiny

Eiji had been searching for Hiro, harder than anything he's ever tried. He had accepted that he wouldn't find her first. He just prayed she was okay...

 _Please Hiro... Please hang in there. I am so scared._

 _At least ten kids have tried to kill me. I don't understand... Why are they doing this!? I just want to talk to them... If they would just listen, then I could stop running! What's wrong with this place!?_

Eiji was still looking. It was dark, and he could hardly see five feet in front of him.

He ran into a girl, she flinched, and hid next to a hedge.

She looked at least three years younger than Hiro. She started to cry.

"H-Hey... Come here, it's okay, really."

She backed away further from Eiji, so he tried again.

He knelt down, and lifted his hands. She looked at him curiously.

"See? I've got no weapons. I won't hurt you, I just want to help..."

"Y-Y-You... You promise?" She said in between sobs.

"I promise..." He said.

He crawled next to the girl, and wrapped her in a hug. She began to sob violently.

"Shhh... Hey... It's okay now. I won't let any of them hurt you... What's your name...?"

"A-Ami..." She sniffed.

"Ami, have you seen a girl with black hair and a broken arm?" He asked.

She thought for a moment. "Yeah... She was fighting the others. She didn't really hurt any one really bad though..."

This was good.

"She's my friend." He said. "And she got hurt pretty badly. Where did you see her last?"

She furrowed her brow. "I... I don't know. I saw her almost when I saw you. She went that way..."

Ami pointed straight ahead. So he was close...

...Close, if he moved now.

"Ami, I'm going to carry you, because we're going to be running fast."

She put her arms up. "Okay... It's fine."

He picked her up, and started running at top speed. It was fast.

"How old are you Ami?" He asked while running.

"F-Five... Um... Almost five."

She was just under five, wandering in a place like this? How awful!

"Your parents must be really worried!" He exclaimed.

A tear slipped down her cheek.

"No... They got killed..."

Eiji's heart ached for her. That was just horrible... He felt he needed to make it right, no matter what.

"You can stay with me then." He said. "Hiro would probably love you!"

She smiled. "Really...? You think she would?"

An arrow flew past his head.

He set down the girl, and stood in front of her.

"I don't want any trouble." Said Eiji.

A boy laughed. He sounded about twelve or thirteen.

"Sorry kid, that's just too bad!"

Some one jumped out from a hedge behind him and tackled Ami.

"No! AMI!" Eiji tried to pull him off, but he had already unsheathed his knife, and slit Ami's throat.

Eiji tried to reach for her and stop the bleeding, but the boy held him back.

"Let go of me, LET GO! AMI!"

She had disappeared.

They shoved Eiji on the ground, and started laughing. They skidded their feet across the spot where Ami was. Eiji shook with anger.

"What? Do you think this is funny?"

The older boy got in his face.

"Yeah, come on! Did you see the look on her face!?"

Eiji had seen it. It was horrible.

"You find joy in butchering small children?" He asked, his tone low.

"What about it!?" The younger boy yelled.

"Yeah!" Said the older boy. "If you were smart, you would've killed her first! The manipulative little bitches..."

Eiji froze, as he felt a darkness cross him.

"What did you just call her..." He said monotone.

"Look at this kid... He's such a-!"

Eiji stood, and puppeted the older boy. It was a spell that he knew... A talent he was unaware of. One that he could not fully comprehend in his rage.

It was a spell that required an even group of subjects, of which Eiji could control half. Eiji hadn't realized it, but he'd done it every time he played chess with Hiro...

...On the half of the board that was his.

It was how he was able to move the chess pieces, and how he controlled the boy.

The older boy tackled his friend, taking his knife and stabbing him in the chest. The younger boy let out blood curdling screams until he was finally dead.

Eiji felt a smile crossing his lips.

"That's what Ami would have done, if she could have screamed.

He forced the older boy to walk toward him.

"L-Let me go!" He screamed.

Eiji laughed. "Are you scared...? Do you know how Ami felt now!? I DARE YOU! CALL HER THAT AGAIN!"

"MERCY!" He screamed.

Eiji froze.

 _Mercy... Always... Always show mercy. THAT is how I was raised._

 _(He didn't show Ami any mercy! A four year old girl. Just a little one... Butchered like an ANIMAL!)_

 _Mercy... Take the higher road._

 _(He'll just try to kill me if I release him! I have every right to butcher him like he did her!)_

 _To take a life? That's not my right._

 _(Just kill HIM!)_

 _Do you find joy in this Eiji...?_

 _DO YOU!?_

He let the boy go as Kaihn's voice screamed in his head.

"G-Get out of here." He said.

The boy was gone.

Eiji looked at his hands. They were clean...

...No. NO! THEY WERE RED!

 _I...I just. I just killed someone!_

 _I'm the reason someone suffered..._

 _I'm the reason someone's child is dead..._

 _I caused someone to beg for mercy!_

 _I WAS CRUEL!_

 _I BUTCHERD HIM!_

Eiji ran forward. He was still looking for Hiro. She had to be close...

She had to be!

He didn't find her, and he despaired.

He his in one of the hedge walls, so he wouldn't have to kill anyone else.

"Hiro... Where are you...?" He whispered.

No answer.

He sobbed. "H-Hiro! I'm sorry! I'm sorry I was such a coward! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you! I'M SORRY!"

He slammed his fist on the ground, and...

His hand hit something.

He picked it up, and brushed it off. It was a journal.

Eiji's eyes had adjusted to the dark, so the sliver of moonlight that shone through the hedge was just enough to read what was written there.

He opened the first page. It read,

 _"My maze record. My name is Karo. Remember me."_

Eiji continued to read, finding himself pulled in by the boy's story.

...

Hiro was roaming the maze again. She figured out that her device tracked the maze, and everyone in it.

"I really wish the dots had names..." She said softly.

"Eiji... I hope you're okay..."

She felt her arm throbbing again.

"Crap! OW! This sucks..."

She had seen some of the staff patrolling the paths. What were they doing here...?

"Hey miss prodigy, I can see you're holding up well! Damn, I must say I'm very impressed!"

Hiro turned around, and saw the man she had met before.

She tensed. "Y-Yeah. They don't really fight well at all."

He laughed. "Well, I can see you making quite the investment!"

He walked up to her and knelt down, he stroked her face.

"In fact, I think I like you enough to help you not die... What do you say? I'll give you whatever you need to win right now, and if you survive? I'll be your mentor!"

She shrugged. "I guess... I guess I could use a bat... A metal one."

Hiro had learned some close combat with her dad, but she found she was excellent with bludgeoning weapons. They were just more her style. She didn't like the idea of killing anyone, but some of the same kids she left alive were still trying to kill her.

She was running out of options, and out of patience.

He smirked. "Blunt weapons eh? I like your style!"

He pulled out a book, and muttered a summoning incantation. A metal bat appeared in his hands.

He handed it to her. "One metal bat as ordered..."

She grabbed it with her right hand.

He slid his hand up her shirt, and nuzzled her neck again, biting her ear more.

"You take care now..." He whispered.

He walked away, and turned the corner on the maze.

Hiro felt sick to her stomach.

She felt disgusting, because she let him do that.

It felt wrong, but she hated that it also felt kind of nice...

 _No! Nothing about that was nice! It's... It's weird... and gross... and wrong._

 _(Well, I mean... It felt kind of good... I was pretty uncomfortable though. Maybe he didn't mean anything by it...)_

 _No way! He knows what he's doing!_

A kid was running toward her with a knife. She saw it from the corner of her eye.

Not only had he come at her before, between that guy and the pain? She was in an extremely foul mood, and very on edge.

She turned to face him. "That's the third time!" She yelled.

She swung the bat. "Or rather, THREE STRIKES!"

She landed a blow on the boy's skull, killing him instantly.

She felt sick again, but it was a different kind of sick.

She shook her head. "I gave them all chances!"

She continued to walk, her bat readied.

...

Nina had scouted ahead of the others. She felt she could save more kids than just Hiro, and she knew they were all important.

She walked, scouting the paths and hedges. She walked around in her normal form, because she had noticed other staff patrolling. No need to make herself a target if she didn't have to.

She heard someone crying, a young boy.

She walked over to a hedge wall, and found him. His feet were sticking out.

She went into the hedge, and sat next to him.

He jumped.

"N-No! Not again!" He tried to run, but Nina grabbed him.

"No, let go! Pl-!" She put a hand over his mouth.

"I won't hurt you..." She whispered. "But you need to keep your voice down..."

She looked down at the journal he was holding.

She removed her hand. "Is that yours?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No... I found it in a hedge wall..."

He started crying again.

She rubbed his back with her hand.

"What's your name...?" She asked softly.

"It's... It's Eiji." He said.

"Eiji..." She whispered. "What a nice name..."

He sobbed. "I killed someone! I'm... I'm a killer!"

She sighed. "No... You're not a killer. Real killers don't care about being killers. They don't care about anyone."

She pulled him in closer. "Is there anyone you care about, Eiji?"

"H-Hiro..." He whispered.

Nina blinked. "Hold on, you said Hiro right!?"

"Wait! You know her!?" He exclaimed.

She nodded. "Yeah, we've got a group out looking for her."

She crawled out of the hedge, and held her hand out.

"Come on Eiji, I'll help you find her."

...

Hiro had just killed two more attackers, and spared five others twice. She figured three strikes was a good rule, and implemented some level of mercy.

She had heard a noise rising in the building, and looked up.

There was a balcony, and someone had... No, not just anyone.

Her mother was on that balcony, and something was wrong.

She needed to exit the maze in order to get there, but there was no time...

No time... Unless...

She climbed on top of the hedge walls, and started running across them.

She passed by some staff.

They jumped. "Is that against the rules?" One asked.

"I don't think so...?" Said the other.

"As long as they don't try and escape... I guess."

Hiro continued to run closer to the end jumping over the spaces between walls.

"Hiro!?" Eiji yelled.

She stopped. "Eiji!? Eiji! And NINA! Come up here, I think mom's in trouble!"

Nina flew Eiji and herself up.

"We're right behind you!" She said.

They continued to run, and Linn seemed to be decimating the upper floor. She looked almost monstrous!

"We gotta hurry!" Hiro exclaimed.

"Hiro!? HIRO! Oh my GOD! Your arm!" It was her dad, and the others were with him.

"No time for that Dad, we gotta hurry! I think mom's in trouble!"

They all climbed up, and saw her.

"Yeah she is!" Said Kuhn. "Come on, let's go!"

They were all running across the same hedge wall, and all landed at the end.

"Linn! What are you doing!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

She looked down at him, and stopped. She started clutching her head and screaming.

The sound was half Linn, half monster like growl.

Kuhn froze.

He knew what was happening. She had caught the taint, and had begun to half reject it.

"Kuhn! GET OUT OF HERE!" She screamed.

"Not without you!" He yelled. "Come down Linn! We'll figure of out!"

She looked over, and saw Hiro.

"Linn!" Karo yelled. "I know what you're thinking, and don't!"

Linn pulled out something.

Shisuta gaped. "Those are my explosives! Linn, NO!"

Linn had tears streaming down her face, which was now changing.

"It... It's too late. I'm sorry."

She looked at Kuhn. "Thank you for saving Hiro, you kept your promise."

She was about to detonate the bomb...

...The world had slowed, and Karo had a decision to make.

She was up high, and he was bad at flying. That was putting it lightly.

He might be able to heal her, but only if he could reach her...

He would try!

He launched himself in the air, and tackled Linn away from the explosion. He saw someone's leg fly out of the explosion, and get swallowed by flames.

They crash landed on the ground, and Linn was still intact.

He felt all of his magic ignite at once.

"PURGE!" He screamed.

The magic burst out of him, and all was dark.

...

I couldn't believe my eyes...

For such an advanced purge to be cast by a single Lumina... It was unheard of.

His leg had been completely blown off by the blast, and the wound had cauterized.

Linn was out cold, bit seemed to be better.

A group of armed men arrived, their swords ready.

"What do you think you're all doing!?" One yelled.

"Yeah, this is private property! And you've destroyed it!" Yelled another.

A man walked up to Hiro, and tried to grab her. Kuhn grabbed his face, and pulled a Linn.

"Anyone else feel like EVER trying THAT AGAIN!? HUH!?"

"Those kids are our property!" They yelled. "ATTACK!"

There were a lot of them, but they would all fight to the death to protect Hiro. All of them...

...Though this time? Maybe they wouldn't have to.

A war cry had sounded from behind them.

They turned to see an army of well armed children charging.

They surrounded the men, holding their shields up, and spears out.

This event directly triggered Luna.

"Good timing!" She cheered. Her katana had formed into a spear.

"We caught wind of this mission." Said the older boy.

"We figured we should stand at attention until trouble stirred. This is one of the Kurayami's main Headquarters after all!"

Shisuta shook her head. "Really, your timing is impeccable..."

"I take it you know these ones?" I asked.

She smiled. "Yes, I do."

Boh turned into a giant. "I could be of use here! Well it's about time!"

Battle broke out between the two sides, and our side was winning.

This was fantastic.

"K-Kahn..." Said a familiar voice.

I looked over, and saw Eiji.

I sighed. "You got stuck here. I'm sorry we didn't find you sooner Eiji..."

He looked down. "It's okay... At least Hiro... What!?"

We looked around, and we didn't see Hiro.

I grabbed Kuhn. "Kuhn Hiro's gone!"

He looked down. "What!? NO! She was right HERE!"

...

Hiro had been taken by someone. He had grabbed her and left headquarters! A hand was held over her mouth.

"Sorry about that!" Said a voice. It was the Man's voice.

"That place was going down, and fast! Well, at least I grabbed you in time."

She was shaking.

"I know it's scary." He said. "But you'll get used to it! Hey, did you know you won!? Yeah! Every one else is dead! All killed each other off... and that idiot was probably disqualified!"

He was talking about Eiji, wasn't he?

"Yeah... Don't worry, I'll take you somewhere real nice... It's where the round winners go."

Hiro didn't even want to know, she just wanted desperately to go home...

...but that wasn't possible right now, and Hiro sensed a long road ahead of her.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Champion Hall

Hiro roamed around the compound. She had been here for a day now, her arm had been healed.

They had put her under to reset her bone on Rokuro's request. Rokuro was the man who had captured her, and now he was her mentor.

After the bone was reset, a couple healers were able to fix it.

She'd noticed that none of the kids talked to anyone except for those who had mentors. The place was called Champion Hall, and it was very luxurious. For a moment, Hiro had forgotten she was in a prison.

"Hiro! My favorite little winner!"

There went that notion.

"H-Hi." She said. "What do you want?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Nothing much. Hey, are you hungry? You can come to my quarters, and I'll get you something good..."

She gave a tense shrug. "Well... Not really. I'm not that... Hungry..."

Her stomach growled loudly, giving her away.

He laughed. "No need to be so modest! Come on..." He walked over and wrapped his arm around her, sliding far too low below her waist.

"I'll escort you there, and make you some breakfast. How does that sound...?"

She gave a small nod. "I, It sounds good."

He lead her to a nice looking room.

It had black wallpaper, with a white flower design. The bed looked really soft, all of the appliances were top class, and the table was a beautifully carved, dark wood masterpiece.

There were some shelves, and a chess set was on one of them.

He pulled out a chair, and gestured toward the table.

"Sit." He said.

She walked over to the chair, and sat down.

"Oh, and could you take your shoes off?" He asked.

She nodded, taking her shoes off, and placing them by the door. Then she sat back down.

He smiled. "And well mannered too? Wow..."

He started on breakfast in his kitchen, and came out with a decadent plate of tomato basil soup.

He gave her a grilled cheese sandwich to go with it. She looked at it hungrily.

He sat down in front of her.

"That meal was my favorite growing up, still is... You can eat, it's fine."

She dived into the soup right away, pausing to dip her sandwich in it, and take a bite.

"It's delicious!" She exclaimed.

She had been so hungry, and to be given this? What a treat!

He laughed. "Well that went fast!"

He picked up her plate, and set it in the kitchen. He pulled out the chess set, and started setting up the board.

"Do you play?" Hiro asked.

He smiled warmly. "Yeah... I'm pretty good at it I guess. I've been playing since I was seven, but you probably wouldn't believe that!"

She gaped. "No way... Me too!"

He looked at her. "R-Really!? Wow... That's incredible, I..."

He seemed to trail off.

"Well, let's get started. Black or white?"

She smiled. "Black."

He blinked. "That's interesting... They usually pick white. I always picked black, but..."

He trailed off again.

"That means you go first." Said Hiro, snapping him back.

He nodded. He moved the...

...the pawn she always started with.

She blinked in surprise, and moved the same pawn.

The game went on for two and a half hours! He finally beat her, but only by a hair.

He seemed to be unfocused, his smile warm.

"You play a lot like me, but one thing... That pawn you move that's close to your king? Don't move it. That will kill you every single time..."

He seemed to snap back into focus.

"Right. So, you will be spending six more days here. After these six days, all of the winners in this hall will face each other in another maze."

Hiro nodded, she had already figured this out. And then some.

"I figured as much." She said. "I take it they compile a Champion Hall out of say... Twenty winners. This will be the next rounds opponents. The last maze was huge though, so they had to have rounded up more winners... A bigger Hall?"

His eyes widened. "Are you sure you've never been here before?"

She shook her head. "Nope. Just figured it out I guess."

His face seemed to forcibly calm, then he smiled.

He walked over, and sat down next to me.

"Hey... You're a really smart girl..."

He leaned in, and nuzzled her neck, kissing it softly. His hands slid under her shirt, and he stroked her side.

"I like that..." He said softly.

She was shaking. She had almost completely forgotten about that...

His tongue was teasing her earlobe.

"You're trembling..." He whispered. He nipped at her ear.

"What's wrong...?"

"N-Nothing..." She breathed.

She could feel him smiling.

"Good girl..."

...

We had been following the trail for an entire day, not even stopping for rest.

It was nightfall again, and the trail was starting to go cold.

We had built some small shelters, and set up camp. A small fire was going, and Kuhn was sitting on a log farther away from it.

His face was tearstained, his expression blank.

I sat next to him.

I attempted to speak, but felt my lower lip quiver, my eyes filled with tears.

I lost my composure.

"I... I'm sorry!" I sobbed. "I should have kept an eye out! Hiro..."

"It's not your fault..." He said softly. "We all tried our best, and we're still going to try."

I sighed sadly. "She's a good girl, you've really done quite a job... When we're not playing chess, you're all she talks about."

He looked up. "She... She can play chess?"

I smiled. "Yes, and she's quite good."

He looked down. "Wow... I can't believe I didn't know that."

He teared up. "Kahn...? Am I a bad father?"

I put a hand on his shoulder. "I wouldn't have just complimented you if you were."

He leaned into me, and cried.

"If something happens to her... She's my world Kahn... My entire world. I..."

He continued to cry.

I let him. That was his daughter, and there was a chance we could lose her.

He calmed down.

"How are Linn and Karo doing?" He asked.

"Still asleep." I said. "Though they may wake up soon."

He nodded.

"I remember... Hiro... She used to have such horrible nightmares. She'd wake up screaming, and most times she'd start vomiting..."

He smiled. "Linn hates puke so much... So guess who always cleaned that mess?"

I laughed softly. "That sounds about right."

Wait... He didn't know about Hiro and that she was a medium. He had no clue about the dreams...

Eiji... He was the only one preventing them!

Should I really tell him now?

He would be upset, no matter when I tell him. Best not let it be when he's in a good mood, where I would ruin that.

"About those dreams..." I began. "I think it's time your aware of Hiro's ability."

He looked at me. "A-Ability!? What ability?"

I sighed. "I only discovered it by chance. Hiro was playing chess with a spirit, and could fully interact with him. Hiro is a medium. I can hear spirits, because I've been a spirit. Hiro is completely different, because she can both hear, and see them."

Kuhn breathed slowly.

"So if I'm correct, the dreams had spirits, right? Who was the spirit she was playing with? So you know?"

I looked down. "Actually, I do. Chihiro and Haku had a son named Eiji. He has gotten himself trapped in purgatory in order to save Hiro."

Kuhn gaped. "You mean Eiji!? The boy we just saved!?"

I nodded. "Yes, if he wouldn't have helped her, she would have fallen to her death."

Kuhn sighed. "Now that I think about it, it makes sense... He looks a lot like Haku, but a little bit like Chihiro too... It was the window. She would have fallen from there, right?"

"That's what I had suspected, and Eiji had confirmed it." I replied.

Right. The dreams...

"What's more, Eiji was the one who had stopped her bad dreams. He's in a body now, so he can't."

Kuhn's eyes widened. "That's bad. If what you're saying is true, spirits are haunting her dreams. Who are the spirits anyway!?"

I looked down. "One spirit. Our brother Kaihn has no doubt, haunted the worst of her nightmares..."

He went pale. "K-Kaihn!? No... You're joking brother... No! That's... That's insane!"

"I know, it's horrible." I said. "But there's nothing we can do until we find her."

He looked up at the sky, his stare, cold and broken.

"Hiro... Please be safe..."

...

 _"Hiro..."_

 _(Wh-Who's there!?)_

 _He laughed. "Remember me...?"_

 _I did. (No... Not you again!)_

 _"You know how this works... You stay sleeping soundly until I'm finished."_

 _I tried to run. (GO AWAY!)_

 _Straps flew at me, and bonded me to a black wall._

 _He appeared in front of me. He placed a finger on my chest, and the most excruciating pain had filled me. I screamed._

 _"Aaaawww... Already?"_

 _He slapped me. I was filled with agony._

 _"You've grown WEAK!"_

 _I whimpered in pain._

 _He laughed. "No matter, it just makes the game more fun! How loud can you scream...?"_

 _I felt needles pierce my entire body. I let out an agonizing wail._

 _|Leave my pupil alone! She doesn't need this shit right now!|_

 _(R-Rokuro...?)_

 _"What are you doing here!?"_

 _|Ending the dream.|_

Hiro sat up and screamed. She tried not to, but she threw up all over the floor.

Rokuro held her hair.

"I'm... I'm sorry!" She gasped, tears spilling from her eyes.I'll

"I'll try not to! I'm sorry!"

He pulled her into a hug. She tensed for a moment, but...

He didn't. He didn't grope her this time...

"It's okay... I can see them too..." He said softly.

"You've got a pretty nasty one on your hide, right?"

She nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah..."

She burst into tears.

"Eiji was the only spirit who could stop the dreams! Now he's not a spirit anymore, and, and I'm all alone... And now that demon Kaihn can hurt me again! Eiji... He talked to me about his home, and how wonderful it was... When we were in that dark room."

Rokuro froze.

"Th-That boy... He was a spirit? So... He's not a heretic, he's the real deal..."

I sighed. "Do you believe that the mazes really got you favored by those God's of yours?"

He shook his head. "No... I don't. I... I really don't."

He let go of me. "I shouldn't be confiding in you... I should be..."

He sobbed. "I shouldn't ever touch you! They... It's a common breaking tactic. They beat it into us, all of us... We've all been through it. So many kids... I've done this to them. Hiro... I can't!"

He backed away. "I can't do this to you!"

 _Is this what becomes of the survivors that stay here?_

 _This isn't someone who is favored by anyone, not even himself..._

 _Broken..._

 _Beaten..._

 _Abused..._

 _This is all that comes of it._

He was shaking. "Why would I do that...? How can you even look at me right now? This was sick... DAMMIT!"

He punched a wall.

"It's ALWAYS been SICK! ...It's not like I could ever wrap my head around it... No, that's not the point. The point is to break them, and build them up in the name of... Damn... God's I don't even believe in."

He looked at her. "You... You were just like me. Just like me."

Tears spilled out of her eyes.

"Well, we play chess the same, and we both see spirits..."

He broke down. "I wish I could believe you, save you from this hell, but..."

He stood, and his eyes widened.

"Hiro, I'll get you out. A camp was spotted not far from here, and I'm supposed to check it out... I bet that's who's looking for you."

She stood. "You can't just take me! They'll find out!"

He nodded. "Stay behind me, and be quiet. I'm going to get access to the outside, and when the gate is open, run."

"What about you?" She asked. "Don't you want to be free!?"

"Just stay behind me." He said in monotone.

They walked forward, and into the dark hall. No one was behind them.

Hiro made extra sure her steps mad no noise.

He approached the gate, and no one saw her.

"State your purpose!" Said a man. He appeared to be dressed in red and black robes.

"I am fulfilling a mission. Name, Rokuro. Purpose, the camp north east of here."

The robed man nodded. "Name, Rokuro. Purpose, the camp north east of here. Access, affirmative."

The gate opened.

Hiro ran from behind Rokuro, and made her escape.

"Look for a small camp fire!" He yelled. "Tell EVERYONE TO-!"

She heard him scream as the sounds of swords slicing flesh filled her ears.

She kept running.

Running as fast as she could...

She saw a dim light, and started screaming.

"MOM! DAD! EVERYONE! WE HAVE TO RUN!"

She saw the others dash out of their shelters as she neared the camp.

He dad ran up to her.

"HIRO!"

He lifted her up, and wrapped her in a hug.

"I love you..." He sobbed. "I love you so much!"

She burst into tears.

"I-I love you too! We need to run!"

There were footsteps nearing their location.

Kuhn set her down.

"No, we're not running." He said, standing in front of her.

"Right!" Said Nina, stepping up.

"Warriors! Stand at the ready!" An small army of soldiers marched into place.

Hiro felt a tap on the shoulder. She turned around, and Eiji hugged her.

"You're alive..." He whispered.

Hiro started to cry.

"Eiji... I'm so sorry... You got all mixed up i-in this and, and it's all my fault! And-!"

"Don't say that!" He cried. "It's my fault I didn't protect you!"

He hugged me tighter, and I could feel his tears.

She wasn't worried about her dad right now. She was more worried about what her dad would do to them... Forget the army! These guys messed with Kuhn's daughter!

They were all as good as dead!


	11. Chapter 11

****The last couple of chapters were like a triple plot twist from hell. I hope you are all being sufficiently entertained. :)**

 **It's early, and I'm tired. -_- Well, 9:30... But still, I was up until 2:30, so this is early.**

 **Well, that's my piece for the day, unless I find more links to give you.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 11! :)****

Chapter 11: Early to Rise

I was sitting at the fire.

Every one was still asleep, and I was sitting, watching the sunrise...

...It was so peaceful.

I heard a small crash behind me and spun around.

It was Eiji. He had just dropped an armload of firewood.

"Oh sorry!" He laughed. "I guess I'm still getting used to having a body! ...body's are so clumbsy!"

I think HIS was lacking in grace. This is true.

I shook my head. "I see I'm not the only one who rises early..."

He gaped. "You JUST got up!? I've been up for two hours! I cleaned the camp, dusted Shisuta's portable Altar, caught some fish for breakfast, like ten of them! Oh, and I also gathered fire wood... Kind of."

My eyes widened as I looked around the camp. It was clean!

There were fish strung up, every surface was spotless, Shisuta's Altar looked amazing, there was firewood that Eiji was organizing into a neat pyramid...

I looked under my feet, and jumped.

He had swept the ground!?

"Ummm... Eiji? Do you... Know what camping is?"

He shrugged. "I don't know, I just I was hungry, and kind of cold... And I was sick of the mess. I thought I'd help!"

Shisuta tackled him in a hug.

"And help you DID!"

Eiji lifted his finger, and was about to say something, but she kept going.

I put a hand on his shoulder.

"It's best to just let her rant... Even if it's about a good thing."

"EVERYTHING IS SOOOO CLEEEAAAAAN!" She exclaimed.

She looked at her Altar, then ran back to Eiji.

"I'm taking YOU EVERYWHERE!"

He stifled a laugh. "Okay... Sounds good to me."

"Hiro crawled out of her shelter.

She stood, and gazed around sleepily.

"Wha...? Who's the... I'm gonna... Yeah, that's what I'll do."

She walked slowly, walking continuously into the same tree. We were all staring at her.

"Is she okay...?" Eiji asked.

I laughed. "That is just very funny! No she's fine, she's just tired."

She shook her head. "Oh... That fire. I thought I was at the fire...? Mom was making... Sushi. It was yummy."

She walked toward us, but started walking into another tree.

"But mom... I don't wanna read her... Dictionary. Islike eighthousand..."

She curled up on the ground, and fell asleep.

Eiji walked up to her, and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Uhmm... Hiro? You know you're..."

She sleep mumbled. "Yea... I'll have more... More steak... Sounds good..."

She grabbed Eiji's hand, and chewed on it softly.

He pulled his hand back.

"Wh-What!? What are you doing!?" He exclaimed.

She sat up.

"What the...? Ah! How did I...?"

She looked up. "Oh... Hi Eiji. I didn't see you standing there..."

He gaped. "Y-You were asleep that WHOLE time!?"

She paused, and then laughed.

"Oh sorry! That happens sometimes..."

I laughed. "Well good morning! Glad to see you're up!'

"She... Doesn't like my literature?" Shisuta said.

Uh oh.

"No... She was... Delirious! Yes, half asleep I tell you."

She nodded slowly. "Alright... That makes sense."

Hiro sat down next to me, and stared at the fire.

There were leaves in her hair. I smiled.

"Your hair is messy, here, let me get out the leaves..."

I got out most of them.

I brushed her hair out of her face, and my fingers happened to brush against her neck.

She tensed. Then she seemed to force herself to relax.

"Hiro... Are you alright?" I asked.

"Fine." She replied monotone.

"Is there a scratch on your neck or something? Here, let me..."

She pulled back. "No. I'm fine." She said. I could hear a hint of bitterness in her voice.

She looked down. "It's fine... I'm okay."

I looked over at Eiji. He looked like he wanted to say something, but had stayed silent.

I was fairly confused.

"Alright then..." I said, dropping the subject.

Kuhn woke up, and walked tiredly to the fire. He sat next to Hiro.

"Good morning..." He yawned.

Hiro smiled. "Morning Dad! Hey, I sleep walked again... Why does that only happen when we're camping?"

Kuhn laughed.

"Your dad used to be notorious for that!" I said. "We'd always camp out down the river near home, and-"

"Kahn... You're not telling her THAT story are you?" He groaned.

I grinned. "Yes, yes I am."

I continued. "As I was saying, he would always sleep walk wheneverer we went there. He woke himself up once, falling in the river saying-"

"Please don't..." Said Kuhn.

"He would say-!"

"Don't say it!" He begged.

I laughed. "I'm going to say it!"

I continued laughing. "He fell in the river, and said, 'Lies! You said the fountain was WARM!... Where'd all the pretty girls go?'."

Kuhn turned red, and Hiro rolled around on the ground and laughed.

I smiled with pride. I interpreted Kuhn perfectly!

Shisuta was laughing too.

"I... I don't get it." Said Eiji. "What's so funny? My mom swam in a lake all the time... She was pretty."

Both Kuhn and I laughed.

"Wh-What's so funny!?" Eiji stuttered. His face was red.

Kuhn smiled. "Nothing, just keep being being innocent. It's really a good trait!"

Eiji looked at them warily. "Is there something I'm not getting here?"

Hiro sat up, and whispered in his ear. His eyes went wide.

"Unclean!" He yelled, running back into his shelter.

Shisuta and Hiro busted up laughing again.

Boh shifted into his normal form, stretching and yawning.

"What's all the racket?" He asked. "I was sleeping..."

"You should have seen him!" Shisuta laughed.

Hiro sighed happily. "Yeah... You know Eiji? He's so innocent! It's really funny."

Kuhn shook his head. "She really is a lot like her mom... A LOT like her mom."

"Wait... Hold on..." Said Hiro.

Her eyes widened. "Where's mom!? Is she okay!? Tell me!"

I nodded. "She's fine, she's just resting..."

She gave a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness... I was so scared..."

She looked up. "What about Karo? Is he okay? He got messed up pretty bad..."

"He's fine too." Said Kuhn. "I'm just glad we all made it out alive... It hasn't always been that way."

Eiji nodded. "My mom and dad told me about it. Zeniba explains it way better though. She makes one killer lavender tea too!"

"You like tea!?" Hiro exclaimed. "I don't like tea..."

He gaped. "How can you not like tea!?"

She shrugged. "I just don't."

She looked over at the shelters.

"They've been asleep for a while." Said Hiro. "Have you tried waking them up?"

Shisuta spoke. "If they were able to sleep through an explosion and two battles, I doubt we could phase them."

Hiro rolled her eyes. "Give me like, five minutes. Seriously, they'll be awake."

We all watched as Hiro walked into Linn's shelter.

She shook her. "Mom... Dad got into your sweets again."

Kuhn gaped. "D-Don't tell her THAT!"

She sat up. "KUHN! WE TALKED ABOUT THIS! YOUR GONNA-! Oh... What?"

I blinked in surprise. "I can't believe that actually... worked."

Kuhn smiled, shaking his head.

"I can't believe I never thought of it myself..."

Linn looked at Hiro.

"H-Hiro... You're OKAY!"

She wrapped her in a tight hug, showering her in kisses.

This usually bugged Hiro, but she accepted it this time.

"Don't ever do that again!" She exclaimed, tears streaming down her face.

Hiro leaned into her. "I don't plan on it..." She said softly.

I smiled. I was really happy that things had worked out this way.

Hiro stood. "Time to wake up Karo."

She grabbed a fish from Eiji's fish string. She started roasting over the fire.

"What's that supposed to do?" Linn asked.

Hiro smiled as the fish began to char, and light on fire.

"Wait for it..."

Karo sat up. "NO! You're burning it! YOU CULINARY MONSTERS!"

I laughed. "Alright, that was a good plan!"

She laughed. "It works every time..."

"Wait..." Karo said, his eyes widening.

"Where's my... My..."

His leg! I had almost forgotten about that!

We all ran up to him.

"Your leg is gone Karo." Shisuta said.

She looked down. "I... I am sorry I couldn't do more."

To all of our surprise he stared laughing.

"So that's who's leg I saw! Well, no getting that back!"

Linn gaped. "H-HOW!? How can you be laughing!?"

He looked up at her, and shrugged.

"Well, I guess I did some good after all..."

Linn's eyes widened. "You mean... That explosion! That was..."

She teared up.

"Well, I'm not too upset about it." He said.

"I was just repaying the favor..."

"What is he talking about?" I asked.

"I remember." Haruka said. "When we were still young, Karo had tried to kill himself, but Linn stopped him... She saved his life, so now he saved hers."

Shisuta's eyes widened.

"H-He... He did!? I had no idea..."

He looked down. "It was a long time ago. Don't worry too much..."

She shook her head. "Oh Karo... You are such an idiot sometimes."

He laughed. "Yeah? Well, your geniusness makes up for it... Wait. That's not a word is it?"

I smiled. "No... It's not."

"Hey guys! I finished breakfast!" Said Boh.

He had taken all nine fish, and roasted them over the fire with a longer stick.

Hiro and Eiji ran over to him.

"Wow thanks Boh!" She exclaimed.

"Right?" Said Eiji. "I'm starving!"

We all walked over, and grabbed a sath.

Shisuta helped Karo get to the fire, and we all sat.

There were nine fish, and... Oh. Ten people.

Nina came running out of a shelter.

"I smell food! Is there any left? Man, I haven't had anything to eat since we left! This is great!"

Boh looked down. "Oh... Sorry Nina. There's none left..."

"Aw man..." She said, sitting next to me glumly.

I had not eaten my fish yet.

I sighed. "Here, take mine." I said, handing her my fish.

"But... This is yours..." She said softly.

I smiled. "Yes, do you want it?"

She smiled. "Yeah... Thanks."

We heard marching.

The small army of Warriors came back with bucket loads of fish.

"The food shortage has been solved MA'AM!" They said.

We all gaped at them.

An older girl laughed. "We saw there weren't many fish, so we caught more. Thanks No-Face, that was an awesome fish trap!"

No face nodded. "Ah."

"Yeah..." Said a younger boy. "We couldn't let Nina or her friends go hungry..."

They all mumbled in agreement.

"Wait, you just called me Nina!" She exclaimed.

Shisuta laughed nervously. "Yes, well... I could not just keep them in the dark... You know me... Hehe..."

Nina shook her head and smiled.

"Of course you did."

We all ate well, and started to pack up camp after breakfast...

...Nina... She was talking with the others.

 _...What a beautiful smile..._

 _(What!? What am I saying! No... I could never... We met when I was...)_

 _...But... That smile... Her lips are so full, I could just imagine..._

 _(Stop! ...It won't go anywhere! I'm sure she'll agree...)_

 _Her eyes rolling back, as I..._

 _(Ah! Stop it Kahn! You fool!)_

 _Moaning... Trembling with..._

 _(Ugh... No... If I keep this up, I'll have to shower in buckets of ice!)_

 _Yes... I bet she'd like..._

"Kahn, you're red." Said Kuhn.

I jumped. "Oh! Hello, I was just... Nothing. It's nothing..."

He looked over at Nina, and looked back at me.

He grinned. "Oh... I think I get it..."

My face grew extremely hot.

"No, that's not it..." I said.

He laughed. "Right... That can't be it! Not at all!"

I sighed. "Oh just shut up... Don't say anything to her Kuhn."

He shrugged. "Whatever, I won't say anything... But you should."

He walked away.

"Let's head back too the resort." He said to Linn.

She nodded. "Yeah, I hope the customers aren't to angry! Let's just make the payments ourselves, and put this one on the house."

He nodded. "That sounds fair."

We all made the trip back to the cabin. Haruka was helping Karo with the walking part.

"We're going to head back to base." Said one of the warriors.

Nina nodded. "That's fine."

They marched back to their camp.

We walked into the resort, and all of the customers were...

Cleaning!?

They were serving each other and helping keep the place up. They turned to face us.

"Hey! Their back!" A man exclaimed.

"Alright!" Said another. "Welcome back! We've kept the place running while you were gone. It was the least we could do, after all the trouble you went through to keep us safe!"

They all mumbled in agreement.

"We're really glad your daughter is okay!" Said a woman.

"Trust me, if it were my kids? I would drop everything and look for them in a heartbeat!"

Kuhn and Linn seemed to stare in awe at them.

"Th-Thanks..." Said Kuhn.

"Yeah..." Said Linn. "Consider your Bill's paid..."

A large woman walked up to them, a fire brand marked on her arm. It had been stretched out by her... Well, she was huge.

"I will nor be returning!" She said. "This was completely unprofessional! And..."

She looked down at Karo's leg.

"That... That is grotesque! And-!"

Shisuta rolled her eyes.

"Oh, just do all of us a favor, and shut the HELL up!"

She smiled. "And please, don't come back! We insist!"

She walked up to Haruka and Karo.

She grabbed Karo's face, and kissed him.

"Don't listen to that hag! I think you're wonderful..."

The rest of the crowd cheered, and the lard filled fire mistress left the building.

Karo seemed lost for words...

His eyes softened, and he kissed her back.

I couldn't help but smile...

...It was about time.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Dreams

Kuhn and Linn were getting ready to sleep. It had been a long day, and they were tired. Hiro had crashed hours ago, and no one blamed her. What she'd just dealt with must have been exhausting!

Kuhn sighed softly. Something had been bothering him all day, and he felt inclined to say it.

"Linn... Why didn't you tell me something was wrong? You know, back at the maze..."

She looked down. "Well, I didn't think it was possible to cure me... I didn't want you to remember me that way..."

"I'm sorry..." She said softly.

Kuhn held her face, and gave her a soft kiss.

"I would never remember you that way..." He whispered.

"I would remember you like this..."

He nibbled her ear softly.

"Beautiful..."

She took in a deep breath, and moaned as his lips started trailing to her chest.

He was sliding off her shirt...

Hiro screamed in the other room. They stopped.

"Is she having nightmares again!?" Linn exclaimed.

Kuhn stood. "Yeah, I think so. We'd better check though!"

They ran to Hiro's room, she was holding her mouth closed with her hands.

She was shaking.

Kuhn walked up to her, and knelt down beside her bed.

He pulled her into a hug, stroking her hair. She cried softly.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to... To wake you up!"

"Shhh... No, you didn't wake us up..." Kuhn said soothingly.

Linn knelt down next to Kuhn.

"I'm sorry hun... Are you okay?"

She shook her head.

"Guys... There's something I need to tell you..."

Kuhn sighed. "Is it about the dreams? I know, Kahn told me. Yeah..."

He looked at Linn. "She's a medium. So, she can see spirits. My brother informed me that Kaihn had been haunting her dreams..."

Linn's eyes widened. "Your kidding!"

They both wrapped her in a hug.

"We'll figured it out..." Said Linn. "Don't you worry..."

Hiro sobbed. "That's part of it..."

Kuhn looked at her. "There's more...? What's going on Sweetheart?"

She cried. "I had won the, the maze... I was taken to this hall... Ch-Champion Hall they called it. I was with this... Well, his name was Rokuro... But... I don't know... I don't want to say..."

Kuhn felt a pit in his stomach.

"Hey... You can tell us whenever you're ready. Take your time..."

"Well..." She continued. "He would seem like he was nice, and then... He would..."

"What did he do?" Linn asked softly.

"He... I DON'T KNOW OKAY!"

She began to sob violently.

Kuhn already had an idea where this was going. He pulled Hiro closer, kissing the top of her head softly.

"Hiro... Sh shhh... You're safe here. No one can hurt you here... Oh hun..."

She continued. "He'd do that, and... I just... I couldn't move. Then... He was... I had a dream, and Kaihn was in it. Well... Rokuro helped me end the dream. He was a medium, like me. He... He was the reason I escaped. He said... They all did that, it was... Some breaking tactic? He said... He didn't want to hurt me anymore. But... He still..."

She grabbed her head. "I don't know! I just DON'T KNOW!"

She cried loudly.

Kuhn was glad his little Hiro was still alive...

...However, he would never give that man credit. He may have helped her escape, but after what he'd done to her... He cursed the man. He cursed every piece of him.

...

Eiji was in a room next to Hiro's. His eyes were filled with tears.

 _If I were to kill anyone, it should have been him..._

 _I just stood there._

 _Just stood there, and LET HIM!_

 _I... Why? Why am I such a coward!?_

 _Hiro... You should never forgive me for letting him do that!_

He curled up, and held in his tears. Hiro has every right to cry. Eiji had to be strong for her...

...No more tears.

He closed his eyes, and fell asleep.

 _|Eiji...|_

 _"Dad...?"_

 _I was home, but I knew it was a dream._

 _(Eiji! I'm sorry!)_

 _Mom ran up to me, and held me._

 _"M-Mom... Mom!"_

 _Despite my efforts, I cried._

 _Dad had also wrapped me in a hug._

 _|Eiji, we're watching you, always... I s-swear, we are.|_

 _He was crying._

 _I started to sob._

 _"I'm sorry! I... I didn't KNOW! I just want to go home..."_

 _Mom rubbed my back, she was also crying._

 _(I wish I could take you home... We're not mad. I love you...)_

 _She sobbed._

 _(I love you... Just be strong for me Eiji! Don't do what I did, and hold back your emotions. It's not worth it...)_

 _|No... You're strength isn't measured by composure. You'll have to discover where it resides on your own now.|_

 _(But, you aren't alone. We're always watching... The people you're with will take good care of you, and I'm sure you'll take good care of them.)_

 _|That's right. We love you so much... We'll be right here...|_

 _I curled into them._

 _"I know... I'm so scared though... Pain. It's horrible... So many horrible people..."_

 _I felt myself fill with determination._

 _"I'll protect her from them. I won't let anything like that happen to her ever again."_

 _Dad pulled me into a firm, warm hug._

 _|Good... I'm very proud of you. You're brave...|_

 _He smiled. |You remind me of your mother...|_

 _She smiled. (He reminds me of you too. He's bashful like you!)_

 _I turned red._

 _"You guys..."_

 _They laughed._

 _Dad sighed._

 _|Remember, just because you're scared, doesn't mean you can't be brave. Standing up and facing those fears. That's what makes you brave.|_

 _That was the most profound thing he had ever taught me._

 _...It was then that I began to realize something about mortality._

 _Living as a mortal was the hardest thing I had ever experienced. I had felt what despair was, and suffering, and death._

 _However, with all of this pain unleashed into my world, I had finally discovered what true joy was like._

 _Something, I had realized, I had never truly known._

 _The pain was like a pathway, paved in suffering..._

 _...Yet it was here, on the darkest roads, that I learned to know bliss._

...

Karo had woken up... Well, kind of...

He was half awake, deciding whether he should go back to sleep or not.

 _I was having a nice dream about Shisuta though... Maybe I'll..._

 _(Don't even think about it!)_

 _Oh... Wait, HARUKA!? You didn't see any of... Oh god._

 _(Yeah. I did. Isn't there a way I can SELECTIVELY hear you!?)_

 _How am I supposed to know!? It's not like I want you knowing THAT much._

 _(Well... Dammit. That's so weird...)_

 _Yeah... But no one here has magic that can help but us. And I don't even know where to start with blocking out a hive mind..._

 _(Maybe... Ask Kahn? He might know something.)_

 _Sounds fair...Uhm... I'll get on that..._

Karo sat up, and grabbed his head.

"Wow... That was very awkward... Damn."

There was a knock at his door.

"Who is it?" He asked.

"Shisuta. May I come in...?"

He blushed softly. "S-Sure... Come in."

She walked in, carrying a wooden peg.

He gaped. "You had to make it a PEG LEG!?" He exclaimed.

She laughed. "Yes! Finally! I succeeded in a joke! Mission accomplished!"

She set down the peg, and pulled out a well built prosthetic leg.

"Wow... Is that...? Is that for me?"

She smiled. "Yes. I had it designed so when you put it on, you can move it around like an actual leg..."

She hooked it up to him, and it worked. He could move it around and everything!

"That's just... Amazing!"

She blushed. "Well, it wasn't that... Hard. No really... I..."

"No..." He said. "You are a genius... And you're just... beautiful."

She leaned down, and kissed him softly.

"Thank you. You are a gentleman..."

He pulled her in, and brushed his lips against hers.

"You are..." He said softly. "I'm just being honest."

He flipped her over, and laid on top of her.

She moaned softly as his lips trailed her skin...

He let out a low moan as she trailed kisses down his chest...

...Whispering his name...

"Wait..." He said. "I can't, because Haruka... She can... Yeah."

They parted mournfully.

She groaned. "Karo... I hope you can figure it out!"

He looked down. "Trust me, I do too."

She stood, and walked to the door.

"Well, I think Linn is making breakfast. You had better hurry, her Lo Mein goes fast..."

She walked out of the door.

 _Dammit... Oh well._

 _(Thanks Karo, and I'm really sorry, believe me! Go ask Kahn, he might know something.)_

 _I will..._

Karo got dressed, and headed down to the dining hall.

Linn could definitely make one killer Lo Mein!


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Weight of Knowing

I was sitting at a table, eating some of Linn's Lo Mein. It really was good, just like they'd all been saying. Kuhn and Linn were at a table, Nina was sitting with a table of... Strangers, Eiji and Hiro had finished eating, and were deep into a round of chess. Some more mastered spirits were watching the children strategize, taking notes...

Hmm...

Karo and Shisuta were practically connected at the hip, pun intended.

Haruka was with Boh, venting on her brother's mind link no doubt. I knew this, because Shisuta was upset about it, and told me herself.

A bit much description for my taste, but I would expect no less from the author of an 8549.5 Page dictionary. How she was able to manage that? I'll never know.

I smiled.

 _I remember when she was not even thirteen, and cried the end of times for a simple crush..._

 _How she had changed. She was more confident now, and smiled more. My self proclaimed little sister wasn't so little any more._

 _...Though not everything had changed. She was still a but about organization, and obsessive on Alchemy. Some things should never change..._

Karo had looked away for a moment, to answer a customer's question. Shisuta's expression completely changed. She looked almost... Guilty.

Karo turned back, and she regained her composure.

"I need to start working in the kitchen now..." He said. They parted with a kiss, and Karo left.

Shisuta's sorrow seemed to return, and I saw the slightest hint of tears.

I walked over to her, and sat down at the table.

She smiled. "Hello Kahn! What brings you here?"

I sighed. "What's wrong."

She looked to side. She was about to tell a lie.

"Nothing! My day has actually been very good!"

"You're lying." I said. "I may have been gone for ten years, but that doesn't mean I can no longer read you. I never stopped watching you those entire ten years, so there is no reason to continue this. What's wrong."

She looked down, and a tear slipped.

"N-Not here..." She stood, and gestured for me to follow.

I followed her to her Altar room, where we had started repairing the windows.

She sat in the desk, and laid her head on the table. I took a chair, and sat next to her.

"What's wrong Shisuta...?" I asked softly.

She slammed her fist on the table. She was shaking...

She stood, grabbing her dictionary. She lit a match, and held the book to the flame until it caught. She dropped it, and watched it burn.

My eyes were wide.

"Shisuta... You worked so hard on that..."

She started laughing, softly at first... Then it became dark, and more maniacal.

She punched the wall, and left a hole.

"IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK!?" She screamed.

Her head hung, and she began to speak.

"Do you know the weight and burden of Sasageru...? Yes, there is a weight. I hungered for it, and now it drowns me... It always wants more, like a glass filling with water... It overflows, casting me away into the dark abyss in which I sold my soul... A destiny that will part all ties that I was not privy to in my youth..."

Sasageru... It was a bargaining demon. It was an honest one, but had a very specific price...

...The soul of the bargainer. When Sasageru took his souls, they were destroyed, ingrained into his own aura.

I went pale.

"Why would you make a deal with such a demon... Shisuta..."

She laughed darkly.

"I took the karmic price... Once for the soul, twice for the body, thrice for the mind. The first, knowledge to bend the will of fate. The second, the anguish and suffering curse of my sister. The third... The murder of everyone else in my family. A price at the time, that was meaningless such as myself."

The karmic price involves three separate deals instead of one. There is no in between. She had definitely made some pretty major sacrifices to herself.

She fell to the floor, grabbing her head, and screaming.

"It's MY FAULT! MY FAULT YOU DIED! My fault that Linn and Kuhn were attacked by MY SISTER! I DID THAT TO HER! Me... I spared NO ONE!"

She started sobbing.

"Kahn... How can I be with Karo? When I die, that's it. No eternity, and he'll be alone! No... I, I can't!"

She was shaking. "I CAN'T DO IT!"

Karo was standing in the door way, no doubt he'd been listening the whole time.

"I could never hurt him... I love him, but... I am worthless to him."

He walked over to her, and knelt down, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No... I would spend ten eternities lonely to spend my life with you..."

Tears streamed down his face.

"I-If you would have me..."

Shisuta clutched on to him and wailed into his chest, sobbing violently.

He held her tightly, and soothed her.

All I could do was stand there. I knew the feeling of being wrongfully condemned all too well...

...In fact, I know it. It's happening right now...

I had died in purgatory, and was saved. Now I have been sent back, and I have nothing to do with the Leviathan's. The fact that I have been cast from paradise after once dying, means I am never to return. For a mission I have no control over, I will be forced to wander the plains when I die.

There was no way I could comfort Shisuta, when I couldn't even comfort myself.

I left the room, giving them their privacy.

I was wandering the halls aimlessly, and Nina saw me.

"Kahn, are you okay?" She asked.

I nodded...

Then I shook my head, and felt a tear slip.

I breathed slowly. "No... I'm not okay."

She stared. "You're really not, are you?"

She walked up to me, and grabbed my arm, pulling me into a vacant room.

"Tell me what's wrong." She said.

I looked down.

"No, don't do that." She said. "Look at me, and tell me what's wrong."

I looked up at her, and I was fixed on her gaze. I wanted, no... I NEEDED to tell her.

Tears came spilling from my eyes.

"This mission, I curse the heavens every day for this horrible mission! The same heavens that now cast me away for a mission I NEVER CHOSE! THEY chose this... Why? What happens to justice in the face of war? It's gone. Justice does not exist..."

I darkened. "Privilege...? Oh yes! That exists... Chihiro. You were saved, and you killed them all. But no... You... Didn't know. You were unaware, and THAT IS WHY YOU WERE SAVED!? No! NO! I was just as 'Unaware'. It's privilege... Human privilege..."

I dug my nails into my hands.

"Well WHAT AM I TO YOU!? Heavens SPEAK! Am I so... Low? A lowly spirit to be used as a sacrifice...? What have I done to you? WHAT!? ANSWER ME DAMN YOU!"

I sobbed.

"D-Damn them all... Damn them all to the abyss and endless oblivion..."

Nina looked at him. "Welcome to the ranks. You're just what I need."

I stopped.

"The ranks?"

Nina gave a sharp nod. "The Shiriagari. Our mission is to destroy the cults, which cause ruin to this land, and eventually, rule the heavens. We will bring a new order, and Justice back into the balance! My sources have found a way, unbeknown to the heavens, to infiltrate the throne... We need someone like you, who's been there and back, and has suffered the injustice. Unless I have your full support, I will not trust you with the information. When I had finally pieced together my mind, I remembered my cause... and who had fragmented me, to what I thought, was beyond repair."

I was curious. "Who? Who did that to you?"

She looked up. "Them."

I froze.

The heavens had torn her sanity apart, and it made perfect sense. They knew she could win, and they were protecting... Themselves.

She was right. The heavens were a tyranny, and I knew first hand the suffering that caused.

I was with her, completely.

She smiled. "But you had the quality to repair my mind, and I believe, the power to heal this land..."

I grabbed her hands. "I would gladly die to serve a cause so noble."

Her smile became warm. "I knew I could trust you! I knew you were the one we've been looking for!"

"The one you've been... Looking for?" I asked.

She nodded. "Yes, exactly. Kahn, do you remember the amulet you gave me?" She asked.

I did.

"Yes, it was enchanted with a powerful relocation spell."

She pulled it out. "This is the same one. I had forgotten about it until recently, and now I know why I wanted it. It's a piece to a puzzle that will end the tyranny. The amulet will be merged with the dreamstone, allowing the amulet to take us to the heavens. My weapon is one that forms to it's master, making it the ultimate weapon in relation to the person wielding it. There is a shield known as deceptions scorn, worn with the armor of titans. Only the true king can wield all of these things, and it will grant him ultimate strength. It is said that he will wield a crossbow on his back."

She pulled out the weapon, which was now a greatsword. She had changed, and pieced herself together. The weapon she held now was in perfect balance with the other two she'd had before.

"Take it." She said.

I stopped.

"Me...? You're sure it's me?"

She shrugged. "One way to find out."

I grabbed the weapon, and it changed. It was a large crossbow, and had a permanent loading of spears. It was large, but not bulky, and surprisingly lightweight. It would have to be carried on the back.

I went to hand it back to her.

"No." She said, pushing it away. "It belongs to you now. I'll get my own greatsword."

I found myself looking up.

"Me...? It's me...?"

She smiled. "Yes. You're the champion we've waited an eternity for. An eternity is a long time to wait for a champion, I would know."

I stared at her in awe.

"Yes, an eternity." She said. "I've finally been restored to my proper age."

I believed her. I sensed the truth stronger than I had sensed anything in my life.

"What's the plan?" I asked. "Because I'm thinking I've got some potential recruits."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14: The Will to Fall

Nina had gone in depth on what we have, and what we need. Obviously we had the amulet and the sword. We also had the shield, and the armor. We did not have the dreamstone.

We had started migrating toward her camp.

"Kahn, about Shisuta. She is aware of the cause, but not all of it."

"Not all of it? Then what does she know?" I asked.

"Remember, I was fragmented." She said. "So the cause was fragmented too. She knows about the cult, nothing more. However, the children know."

I was curious. "How do they know, when Shisuta doesn't? They were all working together."

She smiled. "Well, I had a back up of course. He is an unchanging immortal named Shinjitsu, and he is the oldest boy in the group. In reality, he's as old as I am."

I nodded slowly. "I see, that makes sense."

We entered the camp.

An older boy saw us, and approached us. This must be Shinjitsu.

"Is this the one?" He asked.

She nodded.

He looked at me, and bowed his head. "Welcome, my lord."

"Th-That won't be necessary." I said. "A handshake will do just fine."

He smiled. "Very well."

He held out his hand, and we shook.

"My name is Shinjitsu, and what may I call you?"

"Kahn, and just Kahn." I said. "There's no need to be so formal with me, Honest!"

He looked at me curiously. "I see. Your casual nature is unusual, but should be quite fitting for your position. The ability to reach the people will serve you well."

He gestured to a large tent. It looked vacant.

He saw the children begin to stare as they entered.

"Is that 'Him'!?" One whispered.

"That's gotta be him!" Said another. "No one was allowed enter that tent until 'He' showed up. Shinjitsu told me himself!"

We entered the well built tent, and there was armor and a shield hanging from the wall.

I was nervous. "H-Hold on." I said. "What if it's not me!? What if I can't weird all three pieces?"

Shinjitsu walked over to me, and laid a hand on my crossbow. His hand began burning.

He lifted his hand.

"No, it's definitely you. No one else can wield this crossbow but our champion."

I looked at his hand, it was severely burned.

"Your hand, it's been burned. You should really get that healed, or wrapped. It looks painful."

He shrugged. "It is painful... Can you heal it for me?"

I tensed. I had lost all healing abilities when I had been stripped of my Lumina essence.

"I can't heal it." I said.

Nina lifted the armor and shield off of the wall. When she removed it, a seal broke, and the armor seemed to fly onto me. The shield as well. Both disappeared once they were applied.

Shinjitsu looked at me.

"Can you heal me now?"

Wait... I could. What was this... This energy!? I could heal him, and I could also destroy him.

"I think so..." I said, still in awe. "H-Hold out your hand."

He did.

I grabbed it, and felt the healing energy flowing through me. His hand had healed, and I had done the healing.

Nina smiled. "That armor and shield will appear in times of need. As will your weapon."

I looked back. She was right, the weapon was gone.

I looked at my hands.

With this power, I could save Shisuta. I could end the tyranny, and bring justice back into the world.

If I was unsure before, I knew now. THIS was my purpose.

"I think your right about me." I said. "I have some recruits that may serve us well. Nina, some of the others may be of use to this. They should know what it is we're up against. I think Shisuta would be the most likely to see the truth. She has suffered greatly because of a hand she was dealt, for which she was given no respite. She would know better than anyone i walkhow such injustice drives you into darkness. She could help us, and help the others see the truth as well."

Nina looked thoughtful. Then she looked at me, and gave a warm smile. I felt my heart melt.

"Then you should bring her here! Who am I not to trust you?"

My heart fluttered.

 _Who was she? She was Nina. She was the only Nina, and the only one I would trust with this. If anyone else would have told me what she has, I would have never gone along with it._

 _No, Nina was different. She was beautiful..._

 _...Just wonderful..._

I nodded. "I'll do that now."

She was so exquisitely beautiful, yet, she seemed so above me...

...Could I ever approach her like that? Goodness knows I wanted to.

I walked into the resort, and made my way up to the altar room. I was thrilled.

I could save Shisuta... I could save my little sister!

I let this happiness carry on with me, all the way to Shisuta.

...

Chihiro and Haku were sitting together at their home. Despite where they were, Chihiro felt this sorrow that she couldn't shake.

Haku gave her a soft kiss, and pulled her close to him.

"I miss him too." He said.

Her lower lip quivered.

"It's not the same... Have you felt it Haku? Something's wrong..."

Haku had not sensed it yet, but he was instantly put on guard now. Chihiro had the most intuition of anyone he'd met, and if she said something was wrong, then it was. No question.

He stroked her hair, pressing kisses on her forehead.

"What's wrong then? I will not let anyone hurt you love. Just tell me what you sense."

She sobbed. "I don't know... But I don't feel safe here anymore. We have to get out of here, and no one can know..."

He stopped.

It was THAT urgent?

"Chihiro, remember that spell you found? The one that they told us to forget? What do you think it does?"

She shook her head. "I don't know... I think we did know once. Then why not now?"

A messenger walked up to them.

"You have been summoned by the high heavens themselves. Please, come with me."

The high heavens? Now Haku was getting a bad feeling.

They followed the messenger to a room. It was dark, but Haku could sense the presence of Kamachi and Zeniba. "Why are we here?" Haku asked.

Zeniba sighed. "I have no clue Haku, but it's not good. This much I am sure of."

A voice spoke in the room.

"You four, the friends of Kahn. He is your ally, is he not?"

"Yes." Chihiro said. "He is our friend, and ally."

An eerie silence filled the room a flash of light.

"Then your presence... Is no longer required."

...

Kahn was about to enter the Altar room, but a horrible scream sounded from a room. It was Eiji's.

Kahn entered the room, and the others followed shortly after.

Eiji had dropped to his knees, light bursting out of every orifice.

I know what this is...

They were ERASING HIM!

"What's going on!?" Yelled Kuhn.

Everyone came when they heard the scream.

"Eiji! EIJI! GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Hiro screamed.

No... Why Eiji!?

Another burst of light filled the room, and tackled Eiji.

A physical form appeared in the room...

...No, three physical forms.

I saw the assassin who had tried to erase Eiji. He was now in a physical form.

My armor had unleashed, and I pierced the culprit with a spear like arrow.

He let out one last anguished scream, before both him, and the spear dissolved.

The other two forms were holding Eiji protectively...

...No way... But HOW!?

Everyone stood there in awe. Especially those who had known Chihiro and Haku.

I was the first one to speak.

"How were you able to return?" I asked. "You had died here once before, and without a send, this breaks the most prominent of physical laws... How...?"

Chihiro stood. "We sent ourselves. It was thew spell they used to send you and many others."

I gaped. "You found the spell!? Well... You have excellent timing."

Haku stood and walked up to me. He grabbed my shirt and pulled me close to him.

"I don't know what's going on." He said.

"I do know, that you are the reason we were summoned for erasing. Me? That's one thing. My son! THAT IS ANOTHER!"

I had a lot to explain.

I shrugged him off. "There is an explanation, but you'll have to be calm. There's more to this than you think."

Haku gave him an unwavering glare.

"Start explaining, now." He said.

"There is an uprising." I began. "A rebellion among those who have fallen. Haku. Do you know what happens to those who get sent back?"

"No, elaborate." He said coldly.

"We are cursed to never return. Yes, for something none of us have a choice on, we are wrongly condemned."

Haku froze.

"They never told us that."

"Hold on." Said Shisuta. "So you know what this is like? Oh Kahn..."

Chihiro's eyes widened. "So you're saying the heavens were willing to erase Eiji? Out of FEAR!?"

I nodded. "Exactly! This is what we're up against. The upper world has become a tyranny, I have been chosen as a champion... Though, the idea takes some getting used to, and it needed heavily backed evidence..."

Haku shook his head. "After what we've just seen, I don't doubt this is a tyranny we're facing... But how do we know you're-"

"He's telling the truth." Said Chihiro. "I can feel it, I know he is."

Haku's eyes widened. "Then... Things really have taken a turn for the worst, if you are what Chihiro is saying... The heavens will want you, and all of us dead."

"Eiji... It's okay... We'll figure it out, I promise."

Hiro was comforting a shaking Eiji.

He couldn't be taking any of this well.

"Brother... Why didn't you tell us sooner!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"That could have been Hiro!"

"I just found out today." I said. "I came as soon as I could!"

Kuhn looked at me for a moment. His features softened, and he sighed.

"That's fair enough, but what now?"

"Exactly what I was thinking." Said Linn.

"If the heavens themselves are against us, what chance do we have!?"

"We have Kahn, and every single one of you." Said Nina from behind us.

They all turned to face her.

"I was fragmented for thousands of years." She began. "Through Kahn, I was able to piece myself together. Now I remember why I was split, and what my mission is. These heavens which we so blindly worship, are the ones who did this to me. And why? Because I rose against them, and I have a chance. I knew then, who our champion was. But in the end, we're all champions. Those of us who stand, and fight for what is right against all odds! Those are the champions. Chihiro."

"Yeah, what is it?" She asked.

"You had unraveled the first piece of this rising. You stood against all odds, and destroyed some of the glue which held this tyranny together. The tainted and the Lumina hives."

She looked at all of them.

"You say you don't stand a chance, but all of you have this potential! We are all champions of truth, and the only difference between this champion and us..." She said, gesturing toward me.

"Is that he will create the new order. It is up to all of us to lead that order, him, and us. So yes, it is a collaborative effort."

They were all in awe.

Chihiro spoke. "I'm in."

Haku spoke next. "I'm with her, and you."

Kuhn shook his head and smiled.

"Well, now I can say I've swung at ghosts, and be serious. Why not...?"

They laughed.

"Alright, you got me!" Said Linn.

Boh groaned with annoyance. "Can we all just assume everyone's in!?"

We all mumbled in agreement.

Nina beamed.

"Excellent! Well, let's get all of you caught up on our game plan. There's a lot we need to discuss!"


	15. Chapter 15

****It's getting really intense, and some pieces are coming together. Now there are more questions arising in the plot, though some have been answered, others have not, and some new ones have formed. I hope you like where I'm taking the plot, I think all opinions matter, and feel free to share yours! :D**

 **Enjoy Chapter 15! :)****

Chapter 15: Unlikely Allies

Eiji was wandering the grounds of the resort. Everything he had ever known had been shaken, and he needed some air.

 _Why?_

 _Why would the heavens erase ME? What have I done?_

 _According to the others? Nothing._

 _NO! It can't just be NOTHING! THERE'S ALWAYS A REASON!_

 _A reason that they wouldn't tell me first?_

 _(What happened to mercy?)_

 _No, stop thinking such things! It isn't true..._

 _(Hypocrites, all of them. They lied to me.)_

 _No... There has to be a reason!_

 _(WHAT REASON!? Fear is starting to sound REALLY likely!)_

 _It's a lie!_

 _(No... It's not. They have just proven that they have the capacity to break the rules THEY THEMSELVES have set!)_

 _No! It can't be!_

 _(Yes! IT CAN! And it is...)_

Twenty Leviathan's stood in front of him.

Eiji felt a darkness wash over him. He would not strike them, but heavens help them if they were to strike him first. To bad for them, the heavens weren't so helpful right now.

"What do you want." He said.

They bowed.

"We've heard there is an uprising, and we've come to help you."

One laughed maniacally, rolling around on the ground.

"Yes! Haha! Will their be dumplings!? I WANT DUMPLINGS!"

They all laughed.

"Lot's of CAKE!" Screamed one.

"CAKE DUMPLINGS!" Screamed the next. The rest let out a unanimous cheer.

"CAKE DUMPLINGS FOR ALL!"

Eiji wasn't sure if that was possible.

"Well... There is an uprising. So if you don't want to kill us... Hi? I guess."

"Yeah! There's this... This... This GUY! RIGHT! A GUY!"

"A GUY!" They screamed.

"He's an AWESOME GUY!"

"AWESOME GUY!" They repeated.

"Does he have cake...?" One asked.

"He probably does..." Said another.

"NO! CAKE DUMPLINGS!" One screamed angrily.

"OH YEAH!" The others replied.

They all laughed.

What was wrong with them...? Eiji wasn't sure he wanted to know, but they hadn't killed him... Okay then.

Their expressions darkened.

"Take us to Kahn." They said. "We will serve under him, and you... We have no obligations to Ririsu, but we can tolerate her presence."

Ririsu? They didn't know anyone named Ririsu... It was official. They were insane...

...But they would help, so Eiji couldn't complain.

"Alright... He said. But don't be surprised if they try to kill you at first."

They laughed.

"Haha! We will follow A TEN YEAR OLD!"

"A YEN YEAR OLD!" They screamed.

"An AWESOME TEN YEAR OLD!" One preached in a scream.

"AWESOME TEN YEAR OLDS!"

"He will free our brethren! Free them from the Kurayami! And we will feast! LET THEM EAT CAKE!"

"CAKE DUMPLINGS!" They screamed.

"Oh yeah..." Said the one.

Eiji held the bridge of his nose.

"Just... Come on." He said.

"YES MASTER!"

...

We had gone over the order in which this was going to happen.

Our first priority was the Kurayami. They were a cult that has been around for as long as Nina has. They are also rumored to possess the dreamstone, so we would be killing two birds with one stone. Once this cult is erraticated and we have the dreamstone, we'll have to infiltrate the throne room. We will be building our strength throughout this process, so we will be ready to face this tyranny...

...It was going to be the challenge of our lives, but we were determined. There was no way any of us wouldn't stand our ground.

There was a sound in the distance...

...Laughing...?

Leviathan's!

"We've got trouble!" I said. "Leviathan's are on the grounds again!"

Haku's eyes widened. "The grounds...? EIJI!"

We all ran outside. Shisuta was prepared with another poison bomb...

She stopped.

"Do you see this?" She asked.

We looked at the Leviathan pack, and Eiji was walking in front of him.

He was leading them.

Chihiro looked confused. "Eiji...? Well, I don't think he's in danger... What is he doing with all of those Leviathan's?"

He approached us.

"Hey... Guys? Um... They don't want to kill us. They keep calling me 'master' I... I'm confused."

"The master is CONFUSED!?" One yelled.

"CONFUSED!" Screamed another.

Eiji hung his head bashfully.

"They've been doing this the whole time..."

"Let the master think..." One said.

"Well... Eating helps me think! LET HIM EAT!"

"LET HIM EAT CAKE DUMPLINGS!"

"No... Not this again..." Eiji groaned.

They all stared at Kahn.

"Oh it's... GUYS! IT'S THE GUY!"

"THE GUY!?" They yelled.

"THE GUY!" One screamed.

Linn slapped her palm to her face.

"Ohh... These guys are such a trip!"

"You can say that again." Said Kuhn flatly.

"That's Kahn..." Said Eiji. "Apparently your... The 'guy'."

"I take it they want to help us...?" Said Shisuta. "Oh wow... That's new."

"I agree, it's strange." I said. "But, they would make good offense... I can't believe I'm saying this. Welcome aboard."

The Leviathan's cheered.

"YEAH! THE GUY!"

What have I just agreed to?

With them roaming and screaming about, none of us will get ANY sleep!

"On one condition." I said. "The resort is ours. You can roam around the grounds and old gardens, but you are NOT to eat the customers."

They looked at Eiji.

"Well, you should do what he says..." Eiji replied.

"YES MASTER!" They screamed.

They scattered to the gardens and grounds of the resort.

This was turning out to be a very interesting day...

...

Chihiro and Haku hadn't been back here in awhile. They roamed around the resort, looking around.

"So much has changed..." Said Haku.

Chihiro smiled. "I don't know? I think I like what they've done with it."

Her face fell. "Haku... What about Eiji? Why are Leviathan's following him?"

Haku shrugged. "I can't say... Leviathan's often choose things like this at random, but they always stick to what they decide. Once something gets stuck in their heads, there's no changing it. It seems they chose Eiji as their master... I'll give you this, it's strange... Though Leviathan's aren't known for being the normal kind."

She smiled. "No, I guess not."

Haku kissed her softly on the lips.

"We're all together, that's what matters..."

She sighed happily.

"You know, even though we can't go back, I'm okay with it... I have Eiji, and you..."

She brushed her lips against his.

"Eiji's asleep..." She whispered.

"And our room is right there..."

He laughed softly, nibbling her ear. He carried her to the room, and held her against the headboard of the bed.

His lips brushed against her neck, moving down to her chest. She let out a blissful moan. Every part of him that touched her felt amazing...

His tongue slid up her chest and neck, and he started biting softly. She let out a long and pleasured moan.

"Haku... What... Is this...?" She asked, barely able to speak.

He teased her earlobe with his tongue, and she moaned loudly as her eyes rolled back.

"A little trick I learned..." He whispered. "Like it...?"

She was trembling with ecstasy, his lips and hands trailing across her body...

She couldn't contain her bliss as they merged, her fingers pressed against his back as she moaned his name loudly...

She was still moaning softly when they had stopped, her body completely relaxed.

He gave her a soft kiss.

"I love you..." She whispered.

He pressed his lips to her forehead, kissing it softly.

"Always..." He said softly. "I'll always love you."

They were just about to fall asleep, when they heard a Leviathan yelling.

"MASTER!? MASTER! WE MADE THE CAKE DUMPLINGS!"

They heard Eiji yelling from the window.

"Uuuughhhh... I'm trying to SLEEP! Tell me in the morning!"

"But wait... Okay! IT IS THE MORNING! CAKE DUMPLINGS FOR BREAKFAST!"

"No, it's not!" Eiji yelled.

"YES IT IS!" The Leviathan replied.

"It is TWO! Two in the morning... Two O' one."

"Well not now, are you-!? Yes, you're all insane. Why do I even ask? Wait until the sun is up, okay!?"

"YES MASTER!" It screamed. Then it was silent again.

"Wow... Poor Eiji's going to be so tired tomorrow..." Said Chihiro.

Haku sighed. "If they keep THIS up, we'll all be tired..."

Yeah... Gotta love Leviathan's.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Surprises

Hiro was asleep... Well, she was trying anyway. She had a hard time sleeping after the sun hit her eyes, but the Leviathan's didn't stop yelling until 2:00 in the morning. Wait no, it was 2:01. Hiro was just glad there weren't customer rooms on this side. Hopefully they would continue to remember the sun up rule.

Or Hiro would make a cake dumpling out of their faces.

She sat up. "I can't sleeeeep... Daaaarrrnit aaaaalll!"

Linn and Kuhn walked in.

"Oh, you're awake." Said Kuhn

"We were just checking." Said Linn.

Hiro had dark circles under her eyes.

"I've been awake." She said angrily.

"Since, '2:01' in the morning. I've been awake..."

Kuhn sighed. "Yeaaahhh... They're a loud bunch, that's for sure."

Linn smiled. "If you want to go back to sleep for a couple of hours, that's fine too."

Hiro considered it, then she remembered...

...It was her birthday today.

She was up.

"Guy's, WAIT! I'M TEN TODAY!" She exclaimed.

Kuhn laughed. "I was wondering when you were going figure it out! ...Happy birthday."

Linn brought her a present.

"This is from both of us, go on. Open it."

She pulled off the wrapping paper, and looked at the nice wooden container. It was a chess set of her very own.

She gaped. "Guys!? This is awesome! Thank you!"

She ran up to them, and gave them a hug.

"You're so awesome!" She exclaimed.

Linn laughed. "Well, we try!"

"And this is from me..." Said Kuhn.

He handed her a shiv.

"Kuhn! I told you not too!" Linn yelled.

"Well, self defense is VERY important!" He exclaimed.

He moped. "And I thought it was a good gift..."

Hiro laughed. "I think it's funny. It looks like a metal carot! Thanks for the thought though... Dad. I'm not good with short or sharp... Things... Yeah..."

Linn smiled. "I thought he might, so I backed it up. Here, take this..."

She handed her a metal bat.

"This will work!" Hiro exclaimed.

Linn laughed. "I told you so! She's like me because she's bad with shivs and knives. I figured it had better be a weapon though... So I chose something blunt."

Hiro smiled. "Thanks mom... You too dad... I REALLY like the chess set!"

Kuhn shrugged. "Well, at least now I know who cracked the advanced padlock..."

She laughed nervously. "Yeah... Hehe, well, hmmm... That was me..."

He shook his head. "Trust me, I know." He laughed.

Hiro smiled. Why did she ever doubt them? They were really the best parents she could ever ask for.

...

I was up at 5:00 sharp. Everyone was still sleeping at that point. Come about 8:00, everyone was up and complaining about Leviathan's...

I shrugged. I couldn't hear anything.

Eiji walked back in the house around 9:30. He looked tired.

He sat down at my table, and laid his head down.

"Have you ever had a cake dumpling? Because they're actually pretty good... I never thought they were serious though... Uugggnnnhh... I'm so tired."

I shook my head. "That bad, huh?"

He was snoring softly.

I smiled. "I'll take that as a yes."

I was on my way up to the office where Kuhn and Linn usually worked, and I ran into Nina. She was wearing the most gorgeous white and green dress, displaying her elegant curves. It was a modest dress, but I couldn't help staring...

"You there?" She waved.

I shook my head. "Yes, how are you this morning Nina? I hope well."

She smiled sadly. "I'm doing okay, just a rough night at one of the mazes. Couldn't save anyone this time..."

I sighed. "That doesn't sound very okay... I'm sorry Nina, is there anything I can do?"

She looked down. "No, and you don't have to be so kind to me..."

"Why do you say that?" I asked.

"Why wouldn't I be kind to you? You're kind to me, yes?"

She looked up. "Is that really the reason."

I shook my head... I can't believe I was about to tell her this.

"It's no doubt you're beautiful... If you were unkind to me, despite this fact, I would not show you kindness."

Her expression changed to one of curiosity.

"No, you are always concerned with others around you... It's a good trait."

I couldn't help but stare into her eyes, they were so wonderful...

"Wonderful..."

I started to lean in and kiss her.

I stopped.

"I-I'm sorry... I... I shouldn't be-"

She gave me a soft and lingering kiss, her lips brushing against mine.

I pulled her in, kissing her gently.

Her hair smelled like lavender, and her lips were so soft...

I ran my fingers through her hair, kissing her neck softly.

I wish I could hold her like this forever...

Kissing her like this...

Feeling her pleasure as my own.

We stopped.

I sighed. "We should probably..."

"Yeah..." She said.

She began to walk away, and so did I.

We turned around.

She held me in another kiss, and I felt my face grow hot as her lips trailed my jawline and neck.

"Do we have to stop...?" She whispered.

I opened the door behind us and entered a vacant room.

I held her against the wall, kissing and biting her.

"N-Not if you don't want to..." I said softly.

She flipped around and pinned me to the wall. She ripped off my shirt, and I let out a low, soft moan as she trailed her lips down my neck, biting my chest...

I practically threw her on the bed, slipping off her dress.

I trailed my lips down her chest, she moaned softly as I went lower. My hands sliding down her waist and down to her hips.

I bit her softly, and she jerked, letting out a louder moan. I moved up, letting my hand stay lower...

Her eyes rolled back, and I felt her trembling as she moaned... I was biting her neck, and teasing her earlobe... Feeling her jolt and moan with pleasure.

I brushed my lips against her chest, and she let out a long and soft moan, her body relaxing...

I let my lips brush against her neck...

Her lips...

"What about you...?" She asked softly.

I shrugged, and gave her a soft kiss. "I'm alright..."

She looked at me with those same curious eyes...

I smiled. "Don't think too much about it, you'll drive yourself crazy..."

I gave her another soft kiss.

I held her, and for a short time we fell asleep.

...

Hiro was walking over to Eiji. She was so excited to show him her new chess set. He was sleeping at a table.

She tapped him on the shoulder. He didn't budge.

She shook the box in front of his face.

"Earth to Eiji... New chess set."

He shifted slightly, but continued sleeping.

She took out the board, and set up the pieces.

"Black or white."

He sat. "White! I always choose... Oh, hi Hiro."

She slapped her palm to her face.

"I take it you were up early? Wait, yeah of course you were."

He sighed. "Earlier than I would have liked... Is that? Oh! It's your birthday! I am so sorry, I haven't gotten you anything yet!"

She laughed. "You never have gotten me anything."

He sighed. "I know that, but... I'm mortal now. I can get you something..."

She shook her head. "Eiji, I don't care! Let's just play chess. You beat me last time, and I'm still not over it..."

He laughed. "I'd hate to see what happens when I win a second time!"

She grinned. "We'll just see about that."

She beat him both rounds.

He gaped. "How did you do that!?"

She smiled. "Not telling."

She'd practiced with Nina. If Kahn wasn't currently with her, he could have seen it all over her face.

Nina was good.

She put up the chess set, and they walked around outside. Hiro brought her bat with her, because lately? Nothing good came of wandering. However, they were so stir crazy, they'd chance it.

Eiji laughed. "Have you ever tried a cake dumpling!? I thought they'd be terrible, but they really are awesome!"

She perked up. "Really!? Do they have any left?" She asked.

He smiled. "By now I'm sure they have a warehouse full. They can be pretty crazy, but I guess I don't mind them..."

She laughed. "Yeah, the way they were going on about them, you'd think they'd found a pile of jewels."

"I don't know..." Said Eiji. "They are pretty delicious..."

"MASTER! MASTER! Max was poking me! CAN I EAT HIM!?"

Eiji held the bridge of his nose. "No, you cannot eat him. Max, say you're sorry."

"Sorry... Master." He said.

Eiji sighed. "No, tell Talin that you're... No Talin, you can't eat Max, and Max, stop poking him."

"YES MASTER!" They screamed.

"Then can I eat Fred...?" Talin asked.

"Me too!" Said Max

"No! None of you can eat each other!" Eiji exclaimed.

"YES MASTER!... But, should we starve?"

They pouted, and started whining.

"We... We l-love you master! Pretty please can I eat Fred!?"

Fred walked up, and cried. "D-Don't worry, I'll just eat Talin LATER!"

They all burst into tears.

Hiro was trying hard not to laugh.

"Cake dumplings...?" She offered.

"I heard they're pretty good."

They cheered. "CAKE DUMPLINGS!"

They stopped and stared at her.

"MISTRESS!" One screamed in the back.

"A MISTRESS!" They screamed.

Max poked her. "C-Can I have your autograph?"

She shrugged. "Sure..."

She found a pen, and signed his claw.

"I DID IT!" He yelled. "I'm never washing this claw again..."

Hiro laughed. "These guys are hilarious!"

Talin stopped. "Wait... THE GUY!"

"THE GUY!?" They screamed.

"THE GUUUUUUY!" He replied.

Their expressions darkened.

"Master Eiji, Mistress Hiro. You may want to evacuate."

Eiji and Hiro stopped.

"What's going on?" Eiji asked.

"Look behind you." Talin said.

They did.

There were corpses running toward them.

Hiro held out her bat.

"Wh-What is this!?" She exclaimed. "What's wrong with them!?"

She sighed. "Oh well, nothing a good knock to the head won't fix!"

She launched one in the air, knocking it away with her bat.

It landed on the ground, got back up, and punched Hiro in the ribs.

The blow sent her flying into a tree.

Eiji snapped.

He looked at the corpses with a dark glare.

Silver threads shot out of his fingers, and half of the corpses were his.

He smiled. "Who wants to play a game of chess...? The rules are, my pawns destroy yours."

Leviathan's flanked them at the sides, while Eiji's puppet corpses handed the main blows. It was down to three corpses on both sides. A familiar face was among them.

"Z-Zeniba...?"

She was under his control, and easily wiped out the other pawns.

There were two corpses left, one was Ami, and the other was Zeniba. Both under his spell.

He released the threads, and they fell. Eiji looked at his hands...

...They were bleeding.

The threads had left, leaving holes in his finger tips. He fell to his knees, and pain burst through his arms. He looked over at Hiro.

He bit through the pain, and began to carry her back. Her ribs looked completely crushed, and she was barely breathing. Eiji walked through the lobby, carrying Hiro toward her room.

Someone grabbed his shoulders.

His dad was looking at him, he looked scared, and was saying something. Eiji couldn't hear him, he just kept walking. Someone tried to stop him, and Eiji backed away, clutching Hiro close to him.

He was sitting on the ground holding Hiro, his back against a wall.

 _Wasn't I walking just now...?_

He held Hiro loosely, and stared at his hands again.

 _...Why are they still bleeding?_

The others surrounded them.

 _What's going on...?_

They tried to take Hiro.

"NO!" He yelled.

"No... Hiro... Hiro!"

He started crying. He felt someone holding his arms... And they filled with pain.

There was this horrible screaming...

It went on and on, ringing in Eiji's ears.

He felt his body tense.

 _If the screaming would stop, I could sleep..._

 _Sleep... I need sleep..._

Eiji closed his eyes...

The screaming stopped.


	17. Chapter 17

****Hello readers, we are getting into the thick of the plot. It is awesome. This chapter may confuse some, so just read with the knowledge that we're seeing what happens to Eiji in Kahn's perspective, and then some.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 17! :)****

Chapter 17: Blood master

My eyes slowly opened, and I was relaxed from the short nap we had...

...I guess it was just me...

I stared half awake at the empty side of the bed... I sighed.

"You couldn't have woken me up first...?" I said to no one.

I sat up slowly.

 _Why doesn't this feel right...?_

 _(Because she obviously isn't in it for me.)_

 _What? No, Nina is a kind wonderful person... She had obligations I'm sure._

 _(Like feeling obligated to leave while I'm sleeping?)_

 _Why am I so broken up about this!? There has to be a reasonable explanation._

 _(Like this isn't a possible reason?)_

 _She's not like that... She has a lot on her plate, and she's probably really stressed._

 _(Yeah, that sounds plausible.)_

"Well, I'll just try to help her as much as I can."

As I was getting dressed, I figured a nice gift wouldn't be a bad idea either.

I walked down the staircase, and ran into Haku in the lobby.

I nodded. "How are you?" I asked.

He nodded. "I'm doing alright I... What happened to your hair? It looks like one of Eiji's Leviathan's mistook you for an ice cream cone!"

I turned red. "It's not that horrible is it?"

He shrugged. "No, not THAT horrible, but close. Hey, I saw Nina down here earlier. It looked like she was really torn up about something... She said she was headed for her camp. I just thought she looked... Kahn? You look..."

I was very red, and if my hair didn't give it away, this would.

Haku laughed. "Oh I get it now! You might want to chase her down before she runs off then!"

I sighed. "Yeah, I might just..."

Eiji walked into the lobby.

Blood was running down his hands, and he was carrying Hiro. Her left side had been injured horribly.

The blood wasn't Hiro's though, it was Eiji's.

Haku ran up to him.

"Eiji! Hold on, just, don't move. Are you alright...? Eiji?"

He walked past him.

I tried to grab his arm, so he would stop. He let out a painful yelp, then backed away.

"Damn... Corpses! STAY AWAY!"

He was very dazed, and seemed almost unaware of where he was.

The bleeding hadn't seemed to slow down, and though Hiro's injuries looked painful, she wasn't in any immediate danger.

The longer Eiji held on to Hiro like he was, the sooner he'd bleed out.

Haku seemed to draw up the same conclusion.

We tried to restrain him, so he would not hurt himself. He let out a painful scream, black wings pushing out of his back, forcing us away.

"What's happening!?" Haku exclaimed.

Black wings, blood running from the finger tips? Oh no...

Eiji had somehow inherited the abilities of a blood master, but without extensive training in a controlled environment? Most died before they could become full fledged blood masters.

Eiji had done exactly what you're not supposed to do. He cut off his threads mid spell, causing a break. The vessels and veins in his arms more than likely burst. This is the reason so much blood escapes through the fingers, because the holes go all the way up his arms and into his shoulders.

He bolted up the stairs.

"Haku! Eiji's a blood master!"

"What in the world is a blood master!?" He yelled.

I gestured up the stairs. "Well, you're about to find out!"

We ran after him, and saw him holding a man to the wall.

"What do you think you're doing." Eiji said monotone.

He held Hiro in one arm, and held the Man's throat with the other. A woman stood behind them, staring.

"That's none of your businesses brat!" He yelled.

Eiji's grip on the man became more firm, and I could see the threads swimming up the Man's throat. The man disappeared, and the threads shot back into Eiji's hands.

He was spiraling rapidly into higher stages, because he kept his spell going too long.

Eiji bowed his head to the woman, she nodded.

Eiji flew again, turning into another hall.

"Wait!" Said the woman. "Your hands! Let me help!"

We continued to chase after him, and ran into Shisuta, Karo, and Haruka.

"What's going on!?" Karo exclaimed. "You look lime you're-!"

"In a rush! Yes!" I finished. "Just keep up!"

We ran after him.

"Eiji!? Hiro!? Linn come here!" It was Kuhn.

We ran to them.

Eiji set down Hiro in front of them. His legs were shaking, and he fell backwards, collapsing on e wall behind him. He started crying.

"H-Hiro! No... I'm sorry... Hiro!"

"I was... No... Walking? I'm sitting..."

We all surrounded him.

Chihiro was here now too.

"What's going on!? Is he okay!?"

Haku shook his head. He grabbed Eiji's arms to look for any internal damage.

Eiji screamed as Haku held his arms. He was beginning to fade, but his screams still pierced the halls.

A red shadow crossed us, it was a Leviathan.

He grabbed Eiji's arms.

Eiji let out a horrific scream.

"Sorry master Eiji, I am breaking rule number one."

The Leviathan let light spring from it's hands, and the holes in Eiji's arms closed.

Color returned to his face, and he relaxed.

The other Leviathan's came racing in.

"Talin, is the master okay!?" One exclaimed.

"Yes, master is SAFE!" He exclaimed.

They all started bawling.

Then they looked at Hiro.

"A MISTRESS!" They screamed.

"Save her max!" One yelled. "SHE SIGNED YOUR CLAW!"

The Leviathan assumed as Max went running to Hiro.

"A Mistress, she's HURT!? I WILL NEVER WASH THIS CLAW AGAIN!"

He showed off his claw for a moment, and yes, it was signed.

He let a large burst of light blast into Hiro. The spell rearranged all of her bones to the right places, and healed all of her bruises and cuts.

She stirred

"Uuuuggnnnh... Where's... EIJI!"

She sat up, and saw him.

"How did I...? Did Eiji?" She began to sob.

"Is he okay!?"

Kuhn nodded, wrapping an arm around her.

"He's fine, don't you worry..."

She continued to cry. "Did we win...? Did anyone else get hurt?"

"The master won, Fred will tell you!"

"The master won!" Said Fred.

Hiro nodded shakily.

"Don't cry, A Mistress! PLEASE!?" Fred exclaimed.

"We found your bat, and made it awesome... Two times upgrade..."

Fred handed Hiro the metal bat, which now had a blade sticking out of the top, and nails sticking out of the side. Even I was impressed with how seamlessly they had merged the blade and nails.

She gaped at it.

"That... THAT is SO COOL!"

"Absolutely NOT!" Kuhn exclaimed. "That's a hazard!"

She clutched the bat.

"It was my birthday present... Please...? Don't take it from me when I just got it!"

Was she guilt tripping him?

"And if self defense matters, then this will self defend... Times two, right Fred?"

"TIMES TWO GUARANTEED!" He screamed.

She grinned. "See? Now who could argue with that!?"

Kuhn sighed. "Give me the bat Hiro."

She gave a look of protest. "Uuugh! But Dad!?"

"Now." He said.

She scoffed. "But it's a gift, you can't just-!"

"Now." He said again. Slightly louder than before.

She set down the bat harshly.

"Fine, take the bat."

He took it, and walked out of the room.

He looked pretty angry. Hiro may be pushing her luck...

Nina walked in the room.

"I heard what happened." She said. "How is he?"

"He's alright for the moment..." I said. "But I worry about his abilities surfacing at such a rapid rate."

"Abilities?" Chihiro asked. "What kind of abilities?"

"He's a blood master... Kahn, how much do you know on the subject?"

I sighed. "I know that without the proper training, things like this can happen. He kept his spell going for too long, and broke the threads to early. They are like physical energy threads, and I am not surprised the ability surfaced in purgatory, the land of physical energy."

"What can he do with the threads?" Haku asked.

"He can use blood magic in tandum with the threads to turn his opponents into his puppets or servants." I said. "If a blood master does not break the spell before he releases the threads, they break inside of him, causing what you just saw happening to Eiji."

"Then you know as much as I do." Said Nina.

"I hate to say this, but he needs to be restrained until-"

The Leviathan's stepped in front of Eiji.

Chihiro looked at the Leviathan's, then at Nina. She looked wary.

"We will not let the likes of you touch master Eiji." One said.

"What's wrong with you!?" She exclaimed. "I'm just trying to help him!"

They stood, not moving from Eiji.

"Move! I'm just trying to-!"

"We tolerate you." He continued. "We tolerate your presence because you have been tolerated by Master Eiji, Mistress Hiro, and Kahn. That tolerance ends should you walk any closer..."

She glared at them "What do you want with Eiji? What's your game?"

"What's your game Nina?" Chihiro asked. "Because I'm starting to get a bad feeling..."

Hiro stood. "Okay, please stop fighting! I'll carry him to his room, and stay there, okay!?"

We all stopped.

Linn spoke. "That's fine Hiro, go ahead."

Hiro walked over, and lifted him, carrying him to his room.

Chihiro and Haku left with Hiro, Chihiro glaring at Nina.

Linn went in to check on Kuhn.

The Leviathan's left after Eiji was in his room.

"Nina... I'm sorry about that. Are you alright?" I asked.

Nina sighed. "I'm f..."

She sobbed. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

She must be horribly stressed as it is, and now this?

I wrapped her in a hug.

"Sh shhh... It's alright... You don't have to hide from me..."

She started bawling.

"N-No, you're wrong." She backed away.

"I've been hiding this whole time! The truth is..."

She covered her mouth.

"WHY CAN'T I HIDE FROM YOU!?" She yelled.

She ran off.

I chased after her. I could feel her pain... It was like I could sense it.

"Nina, WAIT!" I yelled.

I caught up to her, and ran beside her.

"Why are you running!? You can tell me, I swear, I WON'T JUDGE YOU!"

She stopped, and yelled at me.

"YES YOU WILL! They all do... You will."

I kissed her, holding her close to me.

"Never... Try me... I promise."

I gave her another soft kiss. She pulled away.

"I'm using you Kahn." She said.

I froze.

I took a breath. "Okay, for what? You could just ask."

She shook her head, and laughed. "Don't you get it!? God, for being a genius, your so stupid sometimes! I want your throne. I am building you up, so I can steal your power. I still intend to take it, but..."

"It's yours." I said.

Her eyes widened. "You're willing to give up your birthright... To me? Do you have any idea who I am?"

I didn't care. I saw someone in there that she didn't see.

...Someone beautiful.

"Tell me." I said.

"I am she who is known as Batna, Ita..."

Those names...

"Satrina, Kali, Ririsu..."

That name.

"More commonly known as Lilith."

Okay, that one was a little hard to swallow.

I was hurt that she had deceived me, and used me...

But she was no longer deceiving me, so I asked her something.

"Why did you tell me this, instead of continuing to feed me lies?"

She looked at me, and there was genuine pain in her eyes.

"Because you saw me... And you didn't run away."

Tears spilled from her eyes, and she looked away.

"But it's too late, I've already confused you enough!"

She bolted, but I caught her arm.

I pulled her in, and kissed her lips softly, kissing her tears away.

"No... I understand. They all cast you aside and treated you as a monster... Take my power when the time comes, it's yours. No need to hide from me..."

She looked down. "It belongs to you. How can you give it up so freely?"

I smiled. "You'll know what to do with it better than I will, besides, you've got me by an eternity."

She kissed him softly, and another tear slipped. "When the time comes then..."

I kissed the tear away, and softly nibbled at her ear.

"Stay with me..." I whispered.

She pulled me in, and we went into my room.

Our bodies came together, and bliss filled my mind...

...I held her close to me, feeling her warmth as I slept.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18: The Edge of Reason

Eiji was waking up in his bed. He didn't really remember much of what happened after the corpses attacked. He saw Hiro, and his parents.

"We're alive...? What happened?"

Hiro smiled sadly. "Well, I know you saved my life. You're really something, you know?"

He looked down. "No... I let them get a hit on you. I'm sorry..."

Chihiro stroked his hair from his face.

"Eiji... You can't beat yourself up for that. You did your best."

His face darkened. "But I need to do better than that. Wait... I was able to control those corpses with my hands... I've done it once before this."

He perked up. "If I could practice? I bet I'd be strong enough to-!"

"No, that's not possible." Said Haku.

Eiji froze.

"What are you talking about?"

Hiro looked at them. Her eyes widened.

"No way! You didn't, did you!?"

"What is she talking about!?" Eiji exclaimed.

"We blocked your powers Eiji." Said Chihiro. "It's too dangerous... It could kill you."

In that moment, something in Eiji broke.

 _How could they...?_

 _I just wanted the strength to protect Hiro, and everyone else!_

 _Why...?_

 _Why!?_

 _WHY!? WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME WHO HAS TO BE WEAK!?_

 _Everyone... Always sheltering me, and treating me like I can't stand and fight._

 _What happened to bravery?_

 _HUH!? WHAT HAPPENED DAD!? WEREN'T YOU PROUD OF ME!?_

 _No... All lies._

 _All of them are LIARS!_

 _...Not Hiro. Hiro never lies..._

 _Hiro is an angel in a world of demons and liars!_

"That's not fair." Said Hiro. "All he needed was training, but now you've all made that impossible! Why would you listen to Nina!? You KNOW she's up to something! You KNOW!"

"That's enough!" Chihiro yelled.

"I know she is, but I was considering it myself."

Hiro froze.

"Y-You... You monst-"

"It's fine." Said Eiji. "They're right."

Haku and Chihiro seemed relieved to hear this, they both hugged him, telling him he should rest for longer. They wanted to spend time with him later.

Eiji nodded, but inside he was cold.

"You don't honestly believe that! Do you!?" Hiro exclaimed.

Eiji laughed bitterly. "No, I believe I've been betrayed."

Hiro nodded slowly. "I know... Here."

She handed him a round pellet.

"I had to act like I didn't know, so they wouldn't catch on. Talin told me to give this to you, it'll break the seal, and free your powers."

Eiji looked at her in awe.

"You're like an angel in a universe of demons..."

He swallowed the pellet, and flinched as the seal broke.

"Just don't let the others know." She said.

"I found a book in Shisuta's library, it will tell you all about your powers. The Talin and Max said they'd help you practice."

He nodded. "Right. Thank you Hiro... You're my only friend now..."

A tear slipped.

She hugged him. "No. You have twenty more of them, and they all have your back. They protected youy from Nina. She's actually a demon named Ririsu, and she was going to hurt you."

Eiji stopped.

"Ririsu... Hold on. I read a book on her once... Hiro! That's LILITH, AND-!"

She covered his mouth. "Don't yell it!" She whispered.

"She's still sleeping! So we have a chance!"

She uncovered his mouth.

"A chance for what?" Eiji asked.

Hiro's expression darkened.

"Ririsu has won over too many people here. We need to disappear, and not come back."

"Are you serious about this?" He asked.

She nodded. "Dead. ...Talin told me that he knows how to stop Ririsu, and save Kahn and the others. If we go with them, and disappear. That's the only way it'll work."

Eiji held out his hand.

"I'm in."

They shook on it, and prepared to leave.

...

Linn and Kuhn were sitting in their office.

Linn sighed. "Hiro... This has probably been the worst day of her life, and it was supposed to be a special one for her."

"I know." Said Kuhn softly.

He looked at the augmented bat. "Maybe I should give this back."

His lower lip quivered. "I... I wanted to protect her from this. This world... Just a little longer... Please."

Linn sobbed, and hugged him.

"I know... I know, I wanted that too! Just to let her be a kid... Give her something I didn't have."

Kuhn breathed slowly. "We have to try... This is Hiro we're talking about. Our Hiro..."

He gave her a gentle kiss.

"I'll give her back the bat."

He stood, and walked over to Eiji's room. It was empty.

He sighed. "She went back to her room then..."

He figured she'd be mad, so he didn't expect her to be hanging out in the lobby.

He opened the door to her room. "Hiro, I.."

She wasn't in her room either.

Kuhn was starting to get nervous. Where else could she be!?

The Altar room.

He walked in. "Hey Shisuta, have you seen Hiro anywhere? Did she stop by here?"

She shook her head. "No, I am sorry I can't be of more help. Have you seen a book called, 'The Fundamentals of Blood Mastery'? I think it's been..."

They looked at each other.

"She didn't..." Said Kuhn.

"She wouldn't!" Shisuta exclaimed.

They thought about that.

"Wait, YES SHE WOULD!" They yelled.

They searched high and low for her, but found no one.

Haku and Chihiro ran up to them.

"Have you seen Eiji?" Haku asked frantically.

"We can't find him anywhere!"

...

Eiji and Hiro had left two hours ago.

The Leviathan's carried them with great speed to their home, the pit. It is where they'd be introduced as the Master and Mistress. Eiji was riding on Talin, Hiro on Max.

"HOW FAR ARE WE NOW!?" Yelled Hiro. The wind speeds were high, making communication difficult.

"NOT FAR A MISTRESS!" Yelled Max.

He stopped.

"IN FACT WE'RE HERE!"

Eiji stepped off of Talin, and at least two hundred Leviathan's surrounded them.

Talin stepped forward.

"THIS is MASTER!" He yelled.

"AND A MISTRESS!"

"A MIIIIISSSSTRESSSSS!" Max screamed.

They all cheered, welcoming their new friends.

When the crowd settled down, Talin took them both aside.

His expression was grave, but it always was when he got serious.

"There is a way to stop Lilith." He said.

Eiji nodded. "That's what Hiro was saying, but how?"

He smiled mischievously. "The wench wants the rock, we want it too... Because the wench wants the rock."

"What rock? Is it magical?" Hiro asked.

He was serious. "It is the dreamstone, and the power she seeks to overthrow the heavens. The heavens will be ruled, but not by her..."

"It'll be ruled by Kahn, right?" Eiji asked.

"The GUY! No..."

His expression went from wild to dark in a split second.

"He is not worthy for such a throne. No, not now. Master Eiji, and Mistress Hiro. You are our chosen Champion's!"

They both nodded "Right."

...

 _They would all train and work toward their separate goals for three more years._

 _There was a lot of progress made on both sides, and all motives were coming to a rise..._

 _Hiro and Eiji had truly disappeared from the eyes of their opposer's._

 _That... Would be their upper hand._


	19. Chapter 19

****Hello all, this is the beginning of the time skip. Three years have passed in the story since Eiji and Hiro left.**

 **I found a song that describes Eiji's emotions perfectly. It's called 'Carnivore' by Starset.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=LAMiX5EEbFU

 **Thank you to those who have read this far... It's just getting good.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 19! :)****

Chapter 19: Walking on Your Lifeline

It had been three years since the children had left, and two years since we started the siege on the Mazes and Kurayami strongholds. Nina and I had stayed together through all of this, but it has become more and more of a challenge.

Chihiro has tried to talk me out of this several times, and I always thanked her for her concern, but politely refused.

Haruka was hurt by Nina's recent actions at the mazes, and had grown to hate her. She hated me too. I didn't like what Nina was doing all of the time, but I understood it. Not all of the mazes children want to be saved, and we can no longer waste time on saving them. The heavens had shed multiple plagues and attacks on the group. We were all alive, but none of us left unscathed.

The resort as a business was no more, but a house of refugees. The woman with that man that Karo killed had stayed. She had told me the man had been hunting down her and her children. It was a domestic violence that he had ended. Many others stayed as well.

Karo seemed on the fence about me. This was most likely because Shisuta supported me in my decisions, while Haruka didn't.

Shisuta had made it clear however, that she didn't support Nina. She had long since discovered who she was.

Haku? Well, no one knew where he was in his mind. Only Chihiro knew, and she wouldn't say.

Boh and No-Face didn't engage in the group's quarrels, but they were up to something none of us knew about. We all sensed it, but it was so subtle, we said nothing.

Kuhn and Linn despised Nina, but loved me.

They always found ways to separate me from Nina, then attempted to talk me out of this.

Kuhn wouldn't smile as much as he used to. He missed Hiro, and often blamed himself for her disappearance. Linn tried to encourage him, but even she was lost.

The line holding us together was thin, and I was walking on it.

We a total of nine more strongholds before we took siege on the main one. The one that held the dreamstone. The main stronghold was guarded by the nine trials, so those had to be dispatched first. The mazes we had scoured had been, thankfully, stripped of all Leviathan's. This made our job easier.

However, it also made Shinjitsu's job easier.

Shinjitsu and his army had split off long ago. They had formed their own faction, in which Shinjitsu would claim the throne.

The last nine strongholds had horrible trials within them, each one more terrible as the next.

Shinjitsu had held off his attacks, so I take it he wanted us to deal with the trialed strongholds.

Depending on the trials, this could get messy. I was worried, because no one trusted each other. If the trials were psychological, we were in for a ride.

We were sitting at the former dining hall, going over the trials ahead. Just Nina and I. She would go over the plans with me, and I would relay them to the group. She did this, because she knew no one else trusted her.

No one took the time to understand her either.

She looked down at her notes.

"Well, from the information I have gathered, I have the names of the trials within the strongholds. The nine are: Trial of tongue's, Trial of nightmares, Trial of Confusion, Trial of silence, Trial of darkness, Trial of waking, Trial of fear, Trial of change, and the Trial of loss. In that order. Each trial is held in place by a high priestess. Yes, a priestess."

"That IS interesting." I said. "Up until now there have only been priests."

She nodded. "This is true, but what the priests don't know is that only the priestesses rise to the top. It is actually a Matriarchy. When a woman is chosen, or 'Moved' for analyzation, she is actually sent to a higher stronghold to be named a priestess. That's all I know so far..."

She looked down.

I smiled. "That is an excellent amount of knowledge. I'll see what I can do, and let the group in on your plans."

My face fell. "Not that... Not that they know it's your planning."

She gave me a soft kiss.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

"It's really fine, as long as we're moving forward, that's all that matters."

I stood. "Yes, but they... They don't see what I see. They hate you, and I love you... It's just..."

She walked up to me, and pulled me into her embrace.

"Why do you care so much about what they think of me? I love you... And I can see this is tearing you apart..."

She looked sorrowful for a moment.

She smiled. "I don't care that they hate me, your opinion matters more..."

She kissed me more passionately, her fingers sliding up my shirt.

I pulled her closer, breathing in her scent as I bit her neck softly.

We went to our room...

Our bodies pressed against each other, our forms filling with blissful pleasure...

She breathed softly, our bodies still intertwined.

I kissed her lips softly.

"I love you..." I whispered.

"And one day, we won't have to worry about all of this... I promise. We'll make it right."

She gave me a soft kiss. "I... I know."

I let her warmth draw me into sleep.

I heard a voice... It was Nina... She was crying.

 _"I can't... I can't do it..."_

 _Nina...?_

 _"It's all... It's all so..."_

 _So... What?_

 _"It's his, and if I take it..."_

 _Nina... I already know._

 _"He'll die..."_

 _What?_

 _"He'll die because of me! No, no, no... No... I won't. When the time comes, I'll..."_

 _You'll what? What!?_

 _NINA! What will you do!?_

 _Keep talking!_

 _TELL ME!_

I sat up in a choking gasp, my body covered in sweat.

Nina wasn't here this morning, but she had left a note.

...

 _Dear Kahn, my love,_

 _I left to scout out the grounds of the first trial. I wanted to make sure we wouldn't have to run into much trouble when we get there._

 _I know you don't like it when I leave before you wake, but it was still early, and you looked so peaceful..._

 _I'm sorry, and I promise I'll make it up to you._

 _Love:_

 _-Nina_

 _..._

I smiled. She continued to go by Nina. There was a time when I had insisted in private, I could call her Lilith. That was her real name. She had explained that she liked the name Nina, and hated her birth name. I pushed it no further after that. She was Nina.

And she was mine, as much as I was hers.

I shook my head. "What an awful dream..."


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20: Intel

Karo was sitting in Shisuta's Altar room.

He often did this when he'd had a particularly bad day, and needed a place to be alone, or with Shisuta.

He had been having a lot of bad days.

He still cooked for the refugees, but it wasn't the same. Ever since Nina became whole, she'd caused so many messes for the others and him to clean. They had survived two horrible plagues, and several attacks. Shisuta nearly died from the second plague...

Karo didn't want to remember it, her face looking dead before she had started to fade. Every day the same deal, only kept physical by his magic until she got better...

Eiji and Hiro were gone.

Haku and Chihiro were beside themselves with grief, as were Kuhn and Linn.

The gods were against us, and we were all at each other's throats from the stress.

The world as they knew it had gone to hell... And the world they know now wasn't far behind.

Shisuta walked in, and saw Karo sitting on the floor. His back against a bookshelf.

She walked over, and sat next to him.

She sighed. "Another bad day?"

He nodded. "Yeah... Sorry I get this way so much now. I wish I could be more for you..."

She shook her head. "Karo, you are amazing, and kind. I know that this has been hard for you."

She gave him a kiss. "I will not stop loving you, simply because of your mood."

He kissed her softly, then more passionately.

He had needed this, because he rarely got this alone time with her anymore. What good was Karo's mind filter, if he could never be with her anyway.

They moved to Shisuta's room, which was connected to the Altar room by a door.

He held her close, his hands sliding up her shirt, and grabbing her chest. His lips trailed across her skin, and he breathed heavily as he kissed her furiously.

"I need you..." He whispered.

He nipped her ear, and slid off her shirt, biting and brushing his lips against her chest. Her head tilted back as she moaned.

They moved to the bed.

He grabbed her, pressing her body against his...

Feeling her breath tremble as she moaned under him...

How she moved... Like a dance...

Their bodies filled with ecstasy, letting out soft cries of bliss.

He layed on his side, facing her. His hands stroking hers.

He let out a happy sigh. "You're beautiful." He said softly.

She smiled. "Have you forgotten the person lying next to me?" She teased.

"There's someone here next to you!? I had no idea!" He said, feigning a shocked expression.

She laughed. "Yes, and his wings are moving the covers."

He looked behind him, and his wings were flapping softly.

He went red. "Oh... So they are."

She grinned. "Karo, it's fine. It just means you are happy... Like a dog wagging his tail."

He his his head under the covers. "It's not that bad is it?" He asked.

She laughed loudly. "No! No, it's not bad! I find it endearing..."

He poked his head out.

He sighed. "You pick on me too much..." He said.

She leaned in close to him. "But you like it..." She whispered.

She gave him a soft kiss.

He shook his head. He really did like it, more than he'd like to admit.

"Maybe a little..." He said softly.

She looked down. "I am worried about... Well, everything, but... Kahn. How could he tolerate such a horrible woman?"

"She's a bit twisted, that's for sure." He agreed.

Shisuta scoffed. "A bit!? That woman truly is the living embodiment of Lilith!"

He laughed. "Yeah, that's a good way to put it. Wait... You sounded serious."

She went red.

His eyes widened. "Shisuta! You should have said something sooner! Now she's the one getting our Intel, and Kahn's all wrapped up in it!"

She looked down. "Kahn was wrapped up in her games long before any of this happened... He begged me not to tell anyone, so I promised I wouldn't."

He groaned. "Shisuta... Does she know you know?"

She nodded.

His eyes became worried.

"This put's you in danger... Now, I know one day we'll lose each other..."

His lower lip was trembling.

"But... I want to have you as long as I can."

He breathed slowly, and a tear slipped.

Shisuta leaned into him. "I know..." She sobbed.

"I'm sorry... I wish I..."

She started to cry.

So did he.

"I love you..." He said softly. His breath was trembling.

Shisuta regretted this next part.

"We have to get up." She said.

"I don't want to, but Nina will be back soon, and we will start our next mission."

"You mean Lilith." He said darkly.

She nodded. "Yes, but call her Nina. She does not know that you know."

He sighed. "Fine, but we can't follow her orders forever."

They stood, and got dressed. Preparing themselves for the trials that were laid ahead.

...

Eiji was training his threads again. He had learned to puppet and release in less than a split second. His magic control was nearly flawless, and his thread control was flawless. The treads were like an extension of his thoughts, moving to the exact rhythm of his mind.

"You're getting really good at that." Said Hiro from behind him.

He blushed. "Well, I have been practicing... And..."

Eiji turned more red.

 _Why do always do that now!? It never used to be that way!_

 _...Oh well. A subject change is in order._

He turned around. "Yeah, says the 'Queen of Clubs'. That title just stuck Huh?"

They had made a new title for Hiro. When they were in a fun mood, they would call her, 'A Mistress' Serious and formal, was Mistress Hiro. When they were feeling more mischievous, or more casual minus some insanity, her title was 'Queen of Clubs'.

He smiled as he remembered how she had gotten that name...

"Yes!" She laughed. "And what about you? 'Prince of Rain'? That title stuck too!"

Eiji went beet red. "Hey... That wasn't my fault! I had to go, and I couldn't find the bathroom yet..."

She shook her head. "Why do they only have one? You'd think they'd installed more, with 949 residents and all?"

The two children and the hoard of Leviathans had managed to salvage the rest of their brethren from the Kurayami's cold and wicked grasp.

...Besides the ones who had already fallen of course. As wonderful and heart warming as that was, it caused many problems for the young 'Prince'.

Eiji laughed. "I stopped asking questions like that a long time ago!"

She laughed. "Yeah, you're right! Bathrooms? PAH! Who need's em anyway! ...Prince of Rain..."

He laughed. "Okay! I get it!"

"I REMEMBER THAT!" Max screamed.

"It was GLORIOUS! ...Then it was salty... And THEN THERE WAS LAUGHTER!"

He began to laugh maniacally. Hiro laughed with him.

Eiji shook his head and laughed with them. They would never let him forget that... Never.

Max had gotten his claw tattooed since Hiro had signed it. He would shine it every day and watch it sparkle in the lights.

There were floating lights in the pit, Hiro said they reminded her of floating paper lanterns, or what giant fireflies should look like.

At night, they would float and dim the light. They looked almost like stars... Eiji thought they were even more beautiful than stars.

It was starting to get dark now, and the lights had already started to rise.

Max sighed. "I love the floating lights... They make me smile to my toes..."

Hiro laughed. "Max, you don't have toes!"

He smiled. "Oh yeah..."

He ran off, laughing and screaming.

Hiro and I sat, watching them rise.

"I never get tired of this..." She said. Her expression was peaceful and happy.

I sighed happily. "Yeah... Neither do I..."

She looked at him. "Um... Eiji?"

"Y-Yeah...?" He asked.

"I just wanted to tell you... Um..."

"Well what is it?" He asked curiously.

"You know you can tell me anything."

"Your... My best friend." She said.

Eiji knew that wasn't what she'd wanted to say, but he let it slide.

"Yeah... You too." He said. "But sometimes I wish..." He trailed off.

"...A wish?" She asked.

He jumped. "Oh, what?"

She smiled. "You said that I was your best friend, but sometimes you wish... And you never finished!"

He blushed softly. "I guess I forgot..."

She laughed. "You're so spacy sometimes!"

He smiled. "Yeah, my mom was also..."

He looked down darkly, his expression was cold.

"They're both horrible." He said.

She put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry..." She said softly.

His face softened. "No, it's not your fault..."

"I just get upset about them sometimes... All my life they'd been codling me, but it always goes too far. They should have just let me train, and not betray me. They could have been here if they had just... NO! No..."

He clenched his fists.

"They can never come here. This is OUR sanctuary!"

She nodded. "I know. It's not like they'll find us..."

He shook his head, and tears began to fall.

He only let himself go like this in front of Hiro.

She wrapped her arm around him.

"I know they hurt you... I wish they hadn't too..."

A tear slipped from the corner of her eye.

"Eiji... I wish I could have..."

He sobbed. "I keep saying it's not your fault!"

He hugged her. "You really are an angel, always worrying about me..."

She shook her head. "I'm not an angel."

He held her hands and looked at her.

"Yes you are. You're more of an angel than any of the angels I knew."

She didn't look convinced.

"You always say that, but how am I an angel?"

He smiled. "Well, your kind, comforting... Always there to cheer everyone up. You always try to do what's right..."

He got lost in his own thoughts.

"And... Angels are beautiful... So you've got that covered."

"Eiji...? You just said..."

He looked at her, she was blushing.

"Oh! Did I just...?" He hung his head.

"You probably think that's pretty weird."

She leaned in, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Nope, not weird." She said with a smile.

He turned wine red.

She stood, and looked back at Eiji.

"I'm gonna get some sleep, see you."

She skipped off, and turned the corner that lead to our house.

Eiji sat there, his face still red. He lifted a hand to his cheek...

 _Well... That just happened._


	21. Chapter 21

****Hello, the story is starting to take an upturn in intensity. I found a song that perfectly describes how one of the characters in the party views Nina\Lilith.**

 **It's called 'Headstrong' by trapped.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?reload=7&rdm=1w0jzx6uh#/watch?v=B3J6CyeFUds

 **Enjoy Chapter 21! :)****

Chapter 21: Queen of Club's

Hiro had walked back to the house. She set her hand on the doorknob, and held it there a while... Her thoughts began to stir... And she felt a familiar feeling well up inside of her.

She shook her head, and went inside of the house.

The feeling buzzed in her mind again.

She started banging her head on the wall.

"GO AWAAAAAAY! STOOOOOP!" She screamed, continuing to bang her head.

The lights were off, but she preferred them that way. She sat down, her back against the wall.

She laughed softly. "Well, that was fun."

She grabbed her head, and started screaming.

A man stood in front of her.

He usually came to visit when she was like this... Always riddling... At least for a little bit. She knew he wasn't real, but she didn't mind him.

She started laughing again. "Hi... You're my imaginary uncle! JUNICHI!"

She laughed maniacally.

"How've ya been!?"

He spoke. "Sister, sisters... Mother's tired... Sleeping. The average brain needs at least 7-8 hours of sleep, and sleep deprived people can die you know. You do not, knowing knowledge. Do you have any idea how much she misses you?"

"WHO GIVES A DAMN!" She screamed.

She cried. "Mom... I'm sorry, it was the only..."

She busted out laughing. "Look at ME! I'M SUCH A WIMP!"

He shook his head. "Hiro, this place is driving you mad! Please, go home. You're mother is worried sick, and Lilith is causing treachery on both sides."

She laughed. "You're not REAL!?"

"I am real!" He yelled.

She jumped. He had never yelled at her before.

"SHUT UP!" She yelled. "You're in MY HEAD! ...Kaihn? He's real... He never goes away, never... Goes away!"

She glared at him. "If you're so real, then WHY!? WHY DON'T YOU STOP HIM!?"

"Because you need to learn to protect yourself." He said. "Go home. This isn't worth it."

"Yeah? Really? REALLY!?" She laughed again.

He put a ghostly hand on her shoulder.

"You're in pain." He said. "I can hear it in your laughter... And it's not just emotional, is it?"

She grabbed her head, and started screaming, banging it against the wall.

"What do YOU KNOW!?" She screamed.

He looked at her. "I'm going to tell you a story about your mother and I."

He sighed. "When she was young, she always looked up to me, as a prince or a knight she'd say. I wasn't like our sisters or our father. I would always spend time with her, and play with her... Let her feel like every child should..."

Hiro had calmed down a little. "What did you do together?" She pried.

He smiled. "I used to take her down to a large lake, and we'd go swimming. I used to be 'The shark' but I was a nice shark apparently. She'd always scare me half to death when her head would poke in and out of the water. She'd be hopping on her toes, claiming she could touch the bottom..."

His face fell.

"But then our father had lost his business, and needed some extra income. He had taken Linn in the middle of the night, and sold her to a bathhouse. He took in her payment as his own, while they worked her to her core... She was only seven. I would write to her... And I promised I would sve her, and train her to protect herself. Father found out, and ordered that they bar me from the place, and reject my letters. I tried to break in several times... Then the old witch Yubaba put a curse on me. Even so I still-"

"Hold on!" Hiro exclaimed. "Mom and dad used to tell me stories about a fat, and mean witch named Yubaba, who smoked out a bathhouse, and ate too much pork... You... You're REAL!"

"Yes." He said. "And do you know how this story ends?" He asked.

She shook her head.

"I found your mother years later, but she did not recognize me. I trained her, hoping I could ease my own guilt, and keep my promise to her. She always mentioned me with hate, and resentment. I was beside myself with grief, thinking I had failed her. I took my own life, thinking she wouldn't look for me. She did, and she found what was left."

Hiro's eyes widened.

"She screamed, and I cried... She could not hear me, not anymore."

Hiro felt tears forming.

"Don't let her go into the trials... Or you will never see her again. Find her... Find her and say... Junichi wishes his warrior princess well."

He disappeared.

Hiro started sobbing. "Mom... Dad... I miss you! I'm SORRY! Don't hate me... Please don't hate me!"

Eiji walked in.

"Hiro...? What's wrong!?"

He ran to her, and wrapped his arms around her.

"It wasn't something I said, was it!?"

She shook her head, and continued crying.

"Hiro... What's wrong?" He asked softly.

She sighed, and her breath trembled.

"M-Mom's in danger, and I think it's because of Lilith..."

Eiji froze.

"Are you serious?"

She snapped again. She had never done this in front of Eiji.

"Serious... SERIOUS!" He jumped, and she started laughing.

"You should have seen the look on your!... Their faces! FACES IN MY HEAD! GO AWAAAAY!"

She banged her head on the back of the wall, and felt dizzy as some blood trickled down.

Eiji turned on the light.

"H-HIRO! Calm down... J-Just calm down..."

She banged her head two more times before he stopped her, blood covered his hands.

His eyes widened.

He picked up Hiro, and set her away from the wall.

"Stay right there... I-I'll be back in a second!"

He ran back with some guaze and tissue paper. She was curled up on the ground, laughing. There was a good sized blood spot on the floor.

He put the tissue paper on the spot, and wrapped the gauze tightly around her head.

She attempted to tear it off, but he grabbed her arms.

"Look into my eyes Hiro..." He said.

She didn't, but instead averted her eyes.

He stuck his face in front of hers, catching her eyes. They focused, following his face as it moved.

She was calm again.

She sobbed. "I'm sorry!"

She burst into tears, grabbing the back of her head.

"Why does my head hurt so bad!?"

She looked at his hands. "Th-That's my blood isn't it!?"

He nodded.

She continued to cry.

"I'm sorry... I'm sorry..."

"Don't be sorry, please?" He said softly. He gave her a kiss on the lips.

"Please... It's not your fault."

She leaned into him, and cried silently.

He held her, rubbing her back.

She eventually calmed down.

"Eiji... What are we going to do? Mom's gonna die... That's what he said."

"Who said that?" Eiji asked.

"Mom's brother, Junichi." She said.

"He died a long time ago, and said mom was in danger because of some... Trials... Something like that..."

Eiji stopped.

"Do you think he meant the 'Nine Trials'!?"

She froze.

"Those trials...? Are they insane!?"

Eiji held his head in his hands.

 _What do I do?_

 _These are Hiro's parents, and they're in danger._

 _(My parents are in danger too...)_

 _So? Who cares about them!?_

 _(Could I really let them die though!?)_

 _So what!? They ASKED FOR IT!_

 _(No! They probably didn't ask for any of this! I'm such a horrible person!)_

 _No, they're the horrible ones! They blocked my powers, and treated me like I was... SOME WEAKLING!_

 _(That was three years ago! They're probably really messed up about it now!)_

 _Let them be sorry... They deserve to feel sorry!_

 _(They've been sorry long enough! How can I be so CRUEL!?)_

 _They were CRUEL!_

 _(No, they wanted to keep you safe. Their methods were wrong, but they weren't trying to be cruel. You are.)_

 _Shut UP! You're wrong._

 _(Oh really? Look at where you are! You've shipped yourself to a madhouse!)_

 _No! YOU'RE WRONG!_

 _(Look at Hiro... LOOK AT HER, AND SAY IT! SAY I'M WRONG AGAIN!)_

 _Oh god..._

 _No... NO! What have I done!?_

"We have to help them!" He exclaimed.

She nodded. "I think so too. This has gone on long enough."

They went to Talin, and talked to him.

"Talin?" Eiji asked.

"MASTER! MASTER! WE MADE YOU-!"

"Hold on. There's an emergency." He said.

They stopped, and their faces went dark.

"What is the emergency, Master Eiji."

"Hiro's parents are in danger, because they are headed into one of the nine trials." He began.

"Her uncles ghost had told her that Linn would die if they went in. I can't sit around and do nothing, I have to help them."

They nodded.

"Can I eat Lilith?" Max asked in a low voice.

Hiro smiled darkly. "Yes. Devour every last wretched piece of her. Leave me the teeth, and I'll make a necklace for you."

They cheered and hollered as they prepared to leave.

Hiro brought her club.

It was exactly 156 pounds, and was three and a half feet long, riddled with spikes.

She smiled.

"It's about time I get to use this. The Queen of Club's."


	22. Chapter 22

****I found a song. It's Hiro. It's almost amazing how well it describes the situation.**

 **It's called 'INSaNITY' [Frost Mix] Author unknown. It was an anime song originally, but it's** **in English.**

 **Ever** **since I've picked up on writing fan fiction, I've found a whole variety of music because of these character related links. It takes some digging, but you can find some pretty cool stuff out there! This next one, seriously. Best link yet.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=jhdIu-oDHVU

 **Give the song a chance, you won't be sorry. Unless you are. But still... Variety!**

 **Enjoy Chapter 22! :)****

Chapter 22: Trial of Tongue's

We were standing in front of the gate to the first trial. There were no guards outside, then again, there didn't have to be.

The inside was well fortified enough.

"Wow..." Said Linn. "This place looks even bigger than 'The Warrior's Respite'! And that's saying something."

Kuhn nodded. "Yeah it does. I'm not looking forward to that mess, that's for sure."

"Let's just go." Said Haku coldly. He rarely spoke, but when he did, it was always cold and monotone.

He had taken this entire ordeal the hardest, though he'd never say so himself.

We walked up to the front gate. Kuhn and I looked at each other, we nodded.

Time to go in.

We waited for Boh to crack the lock in mouse form.

He switched back to his giant self, and opened the massive gate.

We all ran in, but Boh and No-Face stayed put.

"We'll be right in." He said. "Just scoping the area for any stragglers. We'll have enough problems in there as it is."

I nodded. "Alright then. Don't be too long."

We ran inside to the door of the trail, and awaited their arrival.

...

Boh looked the first door close behind them.

He looked at No-Face.

"Did you administer the crash pill?" He asked.

No-Face nodded. "Ah. (Yes, and I gave her a little more of the normal dose. You know, the stuff we usually give her? Yeah, I have to say, that dosage we've built her up to is enough to drop a wraith! With the crash pill? Yeah, there's no way she'll survive both the withdrawals, and the crash pill's symptoms. She'll most likely die in this trial. Seamless and flawless, and no one will know the better.)"

He smiled darkly. "Good, and about damn time too."

...

They entered the fortress, and nodded.

"We're clear. Let's get this over with. I don't want to be in here any longer than we have to!"

Kuhn laughed bitterly. "You can say that again."

We opened the door, and the room sucked us in.

It was dark for a moment, then a dim red light filled the room.

"Okay, the first thing we need to do, is start looking for the priestess."

They all looked at me with confusion.

Kuhn spoke. "Hwta rea oyu yinsga? Inact-!"

"Ahwt het!?" Said Chihiro. "Thwa sithtsi!?"

Oh no... We were all speaking gibberish! The trial of tongue's... It was very clear now, that we were babbled to each other.

Haku and I looked at each other, and nodded.

I pulled out my crossbow, and shot the wall. Everyone stopped babbling, and looked at us.

Haku pointed to a pathway to the right, then looked at Chihiro.

You could see a shiver move up her spine. She shook her head, and pointed to the left one instead.

Nina shook her head, and pointed center.

Chihiro glared at her angrily, and pointed hard to the left.

Nina pointed just as hard, glaring just as much.

Chihiro grabbed her by the collar, and pointed left.

Both Kuhn and I stopped them. They continued to glare at each other.

Kuhn pointed to him and Linn gesturing to the right entrance. He grouped Nina and I, and pointed us to the center, and Chihiro and Haku to the left. He then paired Karo and Shisuta with themselves, Haruka with Haku and Chihiro, and Boh and No-Face with us.

He was suggesting we split up, going into our preferred entrances.

I gave him a worried look. He chose the right one.

He sighed, and gave me a look that said. "Might as well."

I hesitated, then gave a sharp nod.

I gave him a quick hug, and we entered our paths. This was going to be a hard trial, I could feel it.

...

Hiro and Eiji rode up to the gate of the first trial.

It was open.

"No! They're already in!?" Hiro exclaimed.

"Dammit. What now?" Said Eiji.

They stopped at the gate.

"I don't know, should we go in?" Hiro asked.

"I would advise against it." Said Talin. "But if you must, Max will go with you."

Max stood beside her. "You said I could eat Lilith Mistress. I will, and I'll save you at least one tooth. Make the necklace shiny please."

I smiled. "I will. Come on max, there isn't any Leviathan I'd rather have by my side."

He turned a brighter shade of red.

"You too Mistress!" He said happily.

Eiji looked at her, and smiled. Even after all that had happened, she was a force to be reckoned with. Like a force of nature, just wild and beautiful...

"Let's go then." Said Eiji. "We don't want to keep them waiting.

She nodded, and the three of them went through the first door.

They looked at the door to the trial, and stopping.

"On three." Said Hiro.

Eiji nodded.

They began to count.

"One... Two..."

They looked at each other.

"THREE!" They yelled, opening the door.

The room sucked them in, and dim red light filled the momentary darkness.

"Well, we're in." Hiro said.

Eiji looked at her. "Ahtw idd uyo ysa? Idditn' tchac atht."

Hiro's eyes widened. "What the? What is this!?"

Max spoke. "Ahahahhhhhahaaahh! Uoy syug dnuos ynnuf!"

Hiro and Eiji seemed to catch on to what was happening.

Hiro found some chalk on the floor next too a wall. She picked it up, and started writing.

Eiji looked over, and saw it.

"Where do you think they went? There are three pathways, and only one way they went. So which one is it?"

Eiji grabbed the chalk, and wrote.

"I don't know... Did they leave any clues as to where they went? I'm not seeing anything."

Hiro felt a buzz, and looked to the right. Junichi was standing there, then he disappeared.

Hiro pointed to the right exit. She took the chalk and pocketed it just in case.

She didn't know if they'd have time to stop, but if they had to, this would come in handy.

They ran into the right exit, hoping they wouldn't be to late.

...

We were walking through the center path.

So far, nothing bad had happened, but Nina didn't look so good.

I stopped her. I held her face, and gave Her a soft kiss.

I gestured for her to sit down by a wall.

She shook her head, and tried to move forward. I grabbed her arm.

I turned her so she'd be facing me. I was starting to get really worried.

I looked down at the wall, and back up at her.

 _Nina... She looks so sick._

 _Please... I'm begging you, take the hint! Your face is pale, your in a cold sweat, your shaking... I can feel you shaking! Please... Just sit, take a break!_

She nodded, and sat down.

She started to shake heavily. I lifted my hands, and started to heal her.

It rejected.

My eyes went wide, and I tried again. Nothing.

I held her, and made sure she stayed awake.

 _Please... Heavens I know you hate me! But please! Grant me this one pleasure... Please... Don't let her die! I can see it in her eyes, she's dying! Dear god, PLEASE! DON'T LET HER DIE!"_

I felt myself sob, but tried to hold it back.

She held my face, and gave me a gentle kiss.

I kissed back, tears spilling from my eyes.

"I love you..." I whispered.

I know we were babbled, but she would understand that much.

Her lower lip trembled, and tears spilled from her eyes.

"I love you too..." She whispered.

She put her hand to my head, and all was dark.

...

Nina stood, and stumbled off.

Boh looked down at Kahn.

 _I never imagined I'd feel so horrible about this. If I know one thing now, it's that Lilith loves him..._

 _It had to happen, and I won't beat myself up because of this. Lilith didn't care about the team, or anyone else but herself, or so it seemed. She cared about Kahn though, now, that much is clear._

 _I never thought I'd see true love and mercy in that woman's eyes. But I did._

 _Well, no stopping it now. She's a goner._

...

Nina stumbled forward.

She knew she was dying, and she didn't want Kahn to have to see that. She'd been poisoned, and now she'd never be with Kahn again.

 _Someone's gonna die._

 _If I'm going down because of these fools, I'm bringing some wenches down with me!_

 _...There's a path that splits off into the right exit._

 _Well, so much for them._

 _..._

Kuhn and Linn were wandering forward.

What was so bad about the right exit anyway? Linn didn't see anything suspicious, and they seemed to be headed in the right direction.

...There was a noise... No, a feeling.

Linn grabbed Kuhn, and stopped him.

Kuhn stopped the others, and looked at Linn with confusion.

The look told her. "Why are we stopping?"

She held up her finger, and looked around.

She looked forward, and saw a dagger flying toward Kuhn's head. He was turned to the side, so he couldn't see it.

 _There's no way he'll dodge it in time! God DAMMIT!_

She jumped in front of him. Now the knife was headed toward her...

 _Damn... I guess this is it. Goodbye Kuhn. Please find Hiro, and make sure she's safe... I know you will._

She saw something fly in front of her, and block the blow.

She fell to the ground.

Linn looked up, and saw...

Hiro... It was Hiro.

Kuhn, let out a small cough. She must have knocked the wind clean out of him.

She shook him, and pointed at Hiro.

His eyes went wide.

"On ywa! Ihro! IHRO!"

Karo and Shisuta stood at the ready. Shisuta's tail flipped out, and Karo's greatsword was ready.

"Tsya ABCK!" She yelled, sticking her hand out.

She was telling them to stay there.

A sword flew at her, and she knocked it aside like a child's plaything. That metal club was MASSIVE!

"Ocme Uto!" She screamed. "Ouy tsuipd BICHT!"

Shisuta's eyes widened.

Linn didn't need a translator to know what that last one was.

Nina ran toward her, greatsword swinging at full force.

Hiro swung at her.

Nina blocked it with her sword, but the force of the blow knocked her clear up to the Ceiling, and slammed her down again.

A Leviathan jumped on her, attempting to swallow her. He punched her in the mouth, grabbed a tooth that had fell out, and went for another blow.

She held his arm back, and stabbed him with her sword.

She continued to stab him.

"Ied! Ied! IED!" She screamed.

Hiro threw her off, beating Nina with her club. Screaming loud gibberish as she continued to wail on her. She screamed louder, and tears were spilling out of her eyes.

"She's dead Hiro." Said the Leviathan.

Kuhn and Linn looked at him. He just spoke coherently!

She ran to him, sobbing and crying.

He opened his hand, and placed the tooth in hers.

"I... I got one." He said.

He disappeared.

Her hands hit the bloody floor beneath her.

She was shaking.

"MAAAAAAX!" She screamed.

Then she just continued screaming.

Then she stopped. Her eyes were blank.

There was saw a boy running toward her, it was Eiji.

"Ihro! Idhera ouy scraem! Ihro...?"

She looked at him, and her eyes went wide. She backed away.

"Hwo era uoy!? Hwat si htsi!?"

She stumbled up, and ran. Pocketing the tooth.

Eiji ran after her.

"IHRO! AITW UP!"

They stood, and ran after them. Whatever was going on, things had just taken a turn for the worst.

...

She continued to run.

What was this place?

Where was she?

Why was this guy still chasing her!?

Who was he anyway!?

She ran, and saw a door ahead. She picked up the pace.

"Ihro! ON!"

Silver threads flew out of the boy's hands, and attempted to grab her.

She dodged them, and opened the door. It sucked her in.

Eijii ran to the door, and tried to pull it open. It was sealed shut.

His face was pale.

She was facing the high priestess now. There was nothing he could do.

...She was stuck in there until she killed the priestess. She was on her own from here.

...

Haku and Chihiro were close to the exit. The left path was fairly empty, and they hadn't had any trouble. They ran toward the door, and froze.

Eiji was standing there. His hand was pressed against the door.

...He was crying.

Haku lost his composure.

"IEJI!" He screamed.

He ran toward him.

Eiji turned and saw him, little silver threads flew out and darted around him like snakes.

Haku stopped.

"Looks like your seal didn't work." He said bitterly.

"I... I'm sorry." Said Haku. "I know I shouldn't have-"

"JUST SHUT UP!" He yelled.

"You betrayed me! Both of you..."

He laughed darkly. "But now we're here... And look, training paid off after all... Not that you'd know."

"What do you think!?" He yelled. "Was I BRAVE ENOUGH! ARE YOU PROUD OF ME NOW!?"

Chihiro's eyes had filled with tears.

 _What have we done...?_

"Eiji." She said. "I am very proud of you."

He stopped, and looked at her.

"I'm more ashamed of myself than anything... You've grown up so strong, you must have trained for hours every day..."

His eyes went wide.

"You were an honor to raise, and we'd glady have you back..."

Tears spilled from her eyes.

"It's your choice... I can't stop you if you want to leave, not anymore."

Tears were falling from Haku as well... He nodded, and gave Eiji the first smile she'd seen in a long time.

Eiji fell to his knees, and started to cry.

"She's in there! Hiro's in there, and the door is SEALED! She'll die! We were... We were supposed to go together!"

He sobbed.

Haku and Chihiro ran up to him.

They both wrapped him in a hug, and he leaned into them.

"I love you..." He said softly.

Haku began to cry.

"I love you too! Please never do that to me again!"

Chihiro held him, and cried softly.

"Ihro... SI hse...?"

They were babbled again.

Haku looked at her.

"Tno htis igaan!"

Chihiro groaned in annoyance.

"Ghuuuu! Htis lacep so ooooos iewrd!"

Eiji held the bridge of his nose.

"Rgaet! Htis igaan!? Ufck ym ifle..."

He turned red.

 _...I really hope they didn't catch that!_

"What did you just say!?" Chihiro exclaimed.

"N-Nothing! Please don't kill me!"

The light changed, and everyone was back to normal. She did it.

"You just... You did! You DID SAY THAT!"

He lifted up his hands in a defensive surrender.

"Just... Please don't. Aw dammit... No! I did it again! Shit! What!? Fuck really!?"

He held his head in his hands.

"I'm grounded aren't I?"

"I'd say... Yes." She said.

"Dammit- I-I mean... Yes Ma'am."

Hiro ran out of the room.

"What the hell is this place!?" She yelled. She ran in the opposite direction of the door.

Eiji stood. "Hiro! WAIT!"

She turned around.

"Leave me alone! I don't know you!" She yelled.

"And who the HELL IS HIRO!?"

She ran off.

Eiji was frozen.

She didn't know him...?

She didn't know she was Hiro?

What HAPPENED!?

The others ran into the room.

"Hey!" Yelled Kuhn. "Hiro's HERE! AND-"

He stopped.

"Eiji, where did she go!?" He asked.

Eiji pointed down the hall... His face was expressionless.

Kuhn and Linn ran after her.

"We ran into Nina." Said Shisuta.

"Yeah..." Said Karo. "She tried to kill us, but Hiro killed her first. One of her Leviathan's died though... She seemed pretty traumatized... That sucks... Really bad."

Eiji looked down sadly. "Max... It was him."

He bit back tears. "Damn... Not him..."

Shisuta froze.

"Wait, where is Kahn? He wasn't with her!"

Karo's eyes widened.

"You're RIGHT!" He exclaimed.

They ran down the center exit, and looked for him.

...

I was awake.

A had been awake for some time now...

She was gone. I knew she was gone.

I was empty. Void of all emotions...

I was okay with this. I didn't want to feel anything right now... Or ever again.

Footsteps ran toward me. I ignored them.

"Kahn!? YOU'RE ALIVE!" Shisuta screamed.

She wrapped me in a hug.

"That horrible woman! She betrayed you, didn't she?"

I glared. "No. She did not."

She froze.

"Kahn... What happened."

I was silent. I felt a spark of anger before, but it was gone now...

Karo knelt down.

"Tell us what happened." He said.

I looked up at them.

"Why should I tell you?" I said monotone.

"It would not matter to you."

Shisuta started losing her composure.

"Kahn! Why are you being like this!? We just want to-!"

I stood. I was angry.

"What!? You want to do WHAT!"

I was shaking.

"You all HATED HER! SO BE HAPPY SHE'S DEAD! Yes... Why don't we all have a GOD DAMN CELEBRATION!"

I punched the stone wall. It cracked.

Tears spilled from my eyes.

"She was dying in my arms... She knew she was dying! She knocked me out, and I never got to..."

I punched the wall again, and stone chunks flew from it.

"DAAAAMMMIIIT!"

Shisuta put a hand on my shoulder. I shrugged it off.

I turned to face her.

"Don't touch me." I said coldly.

I walked away from them, and toward the exit.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Drifting

Hiro had finally gotten away from all of the horrible things chasing her...

Where was she...?

Who was she? Hiro had no clue, she just knew she was scared.

"Hiro..." She said.

"Is that my name?"

She shook her head. "No, that's his friend's name. He thought I was her, but I didn't know him..."

She looked up at the sky. "What is my name anyway?"

"It's Hiro." Said a man's voice.

She turned around, and saw a ghost.

"Okay! No no no! You're not real! Go away."

"Yes I am." He said. "And I won't go away."

She grabbed her head. "I must be crazy... Yeah, that's it! Damn... What the hell!? Being crazy won't help me with anything!"

He phased in front of her. "Hiro. Listen to me... Don't run from them."

She backed away. "What are you!? The devil on my shoulder!? Where's the fucking ANGEL THEN!?"

She ran, and he phased in front of her again.

"Okay, hold on." He said.

"I can see this isn't working, um... I can help you... Find your home?"

She scoffed. "Oh, you so full of shit!"

He shook his head. "Fine then, but I'm not going away."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh my GAAAAAWWWD! REALLY!?...Well, It's not like I can poof you away... Fine Mr. Hallucination, but I'm going to ignore you."

He slapped his ghostly palm to his face.

"Oh joy... This isn't going to be any picnic, is it?"

She continued to wander, ignoring the spirit as well as she could.

"So..." He tried. "Do you know where you're going?"

She was silent.

"Are you thirsty...? Hungry?"

"Stop talking." She said.

He sighed. "Okay then..."

What was he supposed to do? It's not like he could make good conversation with someone who had no memories. She had nothing to draw from...

Her stomach growled.

"You're hungry then?" He asked.

She turned to him, and rolled her eyes.

"Yes, Mr. Hallucination! I'm hungry... What of it?"

He hung his head, and pointed at some plants growing in a patch of grass.

"Those are edible." He said. "If you're hungry, those should do for now."

She made a disgusted face.

"You expect me to eat those? They look nasty, are you trying to kill me!?"

He found himself rolling his eyes.

"Oh my god... really!? They won't kill you. We're not exactly near some fine restaurants, so that's what's there. Your choice."

She sighed, and walked over to the plants. They were like green stems growing out of the ground.

"Pull them from the root." He said. "They're green onions."

She made a face. "Okay then..."

She pulled one from the root, and it was white at the bottom.

She looked confused.

"These!? These are onions!? It looks like weird grass to me..."

He groaned with annoyance.

"Are you going to eat it or not!? They're 'green' onions. There's a difference..."

She sighed. "Fine..." She put one in her mouth, chewed...

Then she gagged, and spit it out.

"Ackhck! Ughghh! No! That's awful! Isn't there anything else!?"

He threw his hands up.

"Fine! If you want to starve, that's your choice. I'm done trying to convince you!"

She folded her arms. "Great, Mr. Hallucination... Why do you have to be such an asshat about it!?"

"Hey!" He yelled. "You have quite the mouth for such a 'delicate lady'. At least that's the way you're acting. My name's Junichi, so stop calling me 'Mr. Hallucination'. It's rude."

She glared at him. "Fine, Junichi. What ist there to eateth? Rather than this rubbish? A.K.A, garbageth!? Is that better?"

She stifled a laugh.

"That sounded really stupid." He said. "And you didn't even say any of it right..."

A note pad and a pen floated out of her pack, landing in front of her.

He grinned. "You should say: Thou would'st not fie upon me. Forsooth, I shall chide thee. Prithee, let thy tongue not hold a privy."

She gaped as the notepad opened, and the pen wrote down what he'd said on the top of the paper. Black lines appeared on all of the pages.

"Now, I want you to write down that sentence on one line at a time, five hundred times."

She gaped in protest. "Wha!? No way! I will NOT write five HUNDRED SENTENCES! That's... That's RIDICULOUS!"

Her stomach growled.

"I'll get you some actual food when you finish." He smiled.

She sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"You're such an asshole, I hope you know..."

"Do you want to make it a thousand?" He asked with mock politeness.

"I can wait, it's not I'll drop dead on you!"

"Haha very funny..." She muttered.

"Don't forget to number them." He added.

"Yeah yeah..." She groaned.

She was 207 sentences in, and it was getting dark. She was still hungry, and her hands were hurting...

"Can I please stop now!?" She begged. "I've written, like, two hundred of these!"

He smiled. "Feel free to take your time, but it won't get you fed any faster..."

She looked down. "Okay... I'll finish."

She continued to write, her hands aching.

She started to mouth the words...

"Thou would'st not... Forsooth... chide thee. Prithee... Not hold a privy..."

She was writing, as if she were in a trance.

He noticed how fast she was writing now.

"That's... That's 1500." She said.

He gaped. "Oh... Why did you do that!? You only had to do five hundred."

She looked at him tiredly, and smiled. "I guess you are real..."

She flipped through the pages, and showed him the sentences. They were all written perfectly.

"I hope that's a good enough apology."

She said.

She fell asleep, and Junichi remembered...

She didn't remember Kaihn.

 _I'd better do SOMETHING this time. Mentally, she's completely defenseless, and he could really hurt her._


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24: A Revenant Search, Clubs on the Move

Hiro had fallen asleep...

She felt a blackness in her dreams. It was quiet, and peaceful... Not a soul to disturb her.

She heard a maniacal laughter fill her head.

"Who's there!?" She exclaimed.

He appeared in front of her... She didn't recognAhim, but...

She was afraid. She was really afraid!

She just knew. She knew, he was death... No.

He was scarier. Scarier than death!? How did she know this...?

She didn't. She felt it.

Her body remembered what her mind could not. He was pain.

She was trembling.

"You do remember me!" He said with mock happiness.

Or maybe just a sick and twisted form of happiness...

She ran, but he moved in front of her.

He touched her throat, and it felt like hot metal was running down it.

She let out an agonizing scream.

"Stop." Said a familiar voice. "You don't belong here."

The man with the glowing red eyes, stared at Junichi.

"You... Why are you here?"

He smiled. "I would love to chat, but the young lady and I were just leaving..."

The dream turned black again, and she woke up.

She sat up, and there was a lingering pain in her throat.

It burned as she started vomiting.

She grabbed her throat painfully.

"My throat! Ughnnn... What? What just...?"

She was shaking, and tears were streaming down her face.

"Are you alright...?" Junichi asked.

She sobbed. "Yeah... I'm okay!"

He sighed. "I can't save you every time you know. You have to learn how to clear your mind, and deal with him yourself."

She froze. "B...But he's gone now, right?"

He shook his head. "No. He'll try to come back every night, until he knows you can stop him."

She sighed sadly. "I need to c!ear my mind... Or he'll come back. Isn't it already clear enough?"

He laughed softly. "That's not what I meant, but it was funny how you took that! Anyway, no. You need to clear it of thoughts, and that will disapate those dreams."

Hiro groaned. "But Junichi... I can't just stop thinking!?"

She flopped on the ground.

"I'm doomed!" She croaked.

He rolled his eyes. "My god... You're an overdramatic one... Just practice meditation. You'll be fine."

"Meditation?" She asked. "I... I don't know how..."

He smiled. "It's simple really, just close your eyes, and try to relax. Think only about your breathing."

She sighed. "Okay... Close my eyes, relax, breathing..."

She laid down, and closed her eyes.

She tried, that's for sure...

She would fidget every ten seconds, and her breathing was more often than not, an annoyed sigh.

She sat up.

"Junichi!? I'm bored. This isn't working."

She didn't get that from Linn... Linn picked up on meditation surprisingly fast. He mused on this thought for a moment.

He smiled. "Try thinking, 'In... and out...' Over and over again. Match it with your breathing."

She nodded. "Okay, I'll try again."

She laid her head back down, and she seemed to almost barely relax... Kind of. Then her fingers started twitching. She sat, scratching her arms and legs.

"Ugh! I itch now!" She exclaimed.

"Junichi, this is stupid! Can I just go for a run or something? The sun's coming up, and I'm awake. I need to move, before I go... Well, I might already be crazy. Hmm..."

She seemed to trail off.

"What a pretty cloud..." She said softly.

She seemed zoned out after that...

He smiled. That's it, that's the example he'd use!

He phased in front of her. She jumped.

"Hey! I was staring! Don't interrupt me when I stare..."

He had obviously startled her.

"What were you just thinking about?" He asked. "Describe it in detail."

She gave him the world's biggest 'Derp' face.

"Uhhh... Well, I wasn't. I was staring... Then you interrupted me... Yeah."

He laughed. "Then your thoughts were clear, right?"

Her eyes widened. "They WERE! YEAH! I am SO awesome..."

Junichi lifted a finger to speak.

"Wait, Junichi! We are in need of supplies!"

She searched her pack, and found a wallet.

"Uh, Hir-!"

"Woah!" She exclaimed. "That's sooooo much."

She read a label posted on the front.

"Hiro's emergency fund... Kuhn... And Linn? Hmm... Well, that chick's got a LOT of money!"

"Hiro, hold on a-!"

She laughed mischievously. "Well, it's mine now!"

He did a ghostly face palm.

"I guess so..."

She stood. "That's the spirit! Come on! Emergency... Hmm... Well, food is an emergency."

He nodded. "Yes, that's important."

She perked up. "Ooooh! What about some new clothes!"

"Uhhh... That's no-"

She started talking again. Ten million miles an hour...

"Oh! And new shoes! I could by like, like ten pairs! And some new dresses, and some more shoes, and food and lunch and, and I could get an awesome tatoo! Ooh what about some jewelry, and a club polisher... Do those even exist? No? Well I'll invent one DAMMIT! And then I'll buy one!"

"HIRO!? Don't you think that's a little-!"

"Oh, and I think I'll get Lo Mein for lunch! And..."

She stopped. "Lo Mein... Best... Best Lo Mein... In the resort."

A tear slipped. "Wh-Why am I crying...? Lo Mein is a good thing..."

"What do you remember?" He asked.

"I don't know..." She said. "It's all fuzzy..."

She shook her head. "Well, in any case, I'm getting Lo Mein for lunch, and some shoes!"

She ran off.

Junichi sighed. "Oh brother... Why do I even bother!?"

...

Kuhn and Linn were searching hard for Hiro. Everyone was with them, even Kahn.

He was silent, though none of them blamed him. He had to be taking this hard...

Kuhn glanced over at Shisuta. She had looked down since she'd come back from talking with Kahn...

 _I wonder what happened?_

 _What did he say to her to make her so...?_

"Wait!" Said Eiji.

They stopped.

"What is it!?" Linn asked.

He pointed at the ground.

"She's been here, there's some loose paper from her note pad, and... She kind of has a bad stomach at night, because of nightmares... "

Linn looked at the paper.

"Those lines... Where do I remember..."

Her brother used to make her write twenty to fifty sentences on parchment when she'd messed up. They were never hard ones, but those were the same kind of lines he would make for her.

The page was neatly torn out.

He was giving them clues...

"Guys... This paper..." She began.

They all jumped as it abruptly lifted in the air, folding into an arrow that pointed north east of their location.

Kuhn nodded. "Looks like we've got a lead!"

They all ran forward, hoping to run into her soon.

...

Hiro was walking into a suspicious looking pub, and Junichi stopped her at the door.

"Hey! What the hell!" She exclaimed.

"Hiro, this place is shady at best! You won't find anything here..."

She rolled her eyes. "What, are you a chicken ghost now? Come on, everyone knows that pubs are a prime source of information! Besides! I have this club... I killed some wicked bitch with this earlier, I'll be fine!"

He sighed. "And you don't think a map? Or maybe a book could help? Those have information too. Let's look for one of those, I'm sure we're close to a town..."

She groaned. "Out of the way..." She walked in.

He phased next to her.

"Hiro, I'm telling you! This is a bad idea!"

She ignored him.

He groaned with annoyance.

"Uuuughhh... Not this again..."

She walked to the bar counter. The man standing behind it grinned.

"Well... Aren't you just a cute little angel? What can get you, hot stuff?"

 _Angel... Not like that, but... Hmmm..._

She cleared her throat. "I was wondering if there's a town nearby? I need some new supplies, and I'm not sure where to look..."

A man sat next to her.

"Aw, I think the little Angel's lost her way..."

He wrapped his hand around her lower waist, and nuzzled her neck.

"What's that club for...? Oh, I see... So you're that kind of whore..."

She lifted her club, and swung at him.

She wailed on him, crushing him to a pulp.

"Don't TOUCH ME!" She screamed.

She was shaking. The men were backing up in their seats.

She laughed darkly... Then maniacally.

"Who wants to play with THE QUEEN OF CLUB'S!" She yelled.

"She's still hungry..."

...

They were running to where the arrow had pointed, and ran straight into a pub.

Kuhn shook his head. "Of course."

They opened the door, and were shocked by what they saw.

There were holes all over the floor and walls. Blood caked the room, and the remaining scattered body parts were strung across the floor and counter... A single man was left there, shivering and bloody."

Kuhn and Linn walked up to him. Chihiro and Haku were trying to convince Eiji not to go in.

Everyone else waited outside.

"What in the hell happened!?" Linn exclaimed.

The man was still shaking as he spoke.

"A... A little girl... She... She tore up the place! We just wanted t-to have a little fun, I-I swear!"

Kuhn froze.

Then snapped. He grabbed the man by the throat, and slammed him against the wall.

"I have NO SYMPATHY FOR YOU! Now tell me... Where the HELL, IS MY DAUGHTER!?"

He looked away. "Oh shit! Look, I didn't know you were-!"

"I BET YOU DIDN'T!" He yelled, slamming his head.

"A-A-Alright! I'm SORRY! Just... She went that way!"

He pointed directly North of here.

Kuhn looked at the direction and nodded.

He then slammed the man into the ground at least fifty times.

They walked out.

"Hey Shisuta." Said Linn. "Give me some of that exploding mushroom stuff."

"But, why do you wan-!?"

Linn grabbed her pack, and pulled out what she needed.

She pulled out a vial from her pocket.

"Where did you get that!?" Shisuta exclaimed.

Linn smiled. "Oh, I've stocked myself up over the years."

She dropped half the bottle on it, then threw it into the pub.

It blew to pieces, leaving no trace of anything, but the flames on the ground.

"You never know when we'll need a good explosion!"

Shisuta gaped. "You know? I would be incredibly pissed... But that was the best explosion I have ever seen one mushroom produce..."

She hugged herself happily.

"I love alchemical explosives..."

Linn sighed. "Damn... That felt good..."

Kuhn smiled at her. "Yeah... It sure did... I wish we could watch it burn..."

He looked north. "But Hiro's still out there!"

They ran after her again.

No-Face shivered. "Ah... (Remind me to NEVER piss Linn off... Holy shit!)"

Boh grimaced. "You can say that again!"

...

Hiro had ran after she'd seen what she had done.

Shje wasn't even looking where she was going...

She ran head first into a tree.

She'd dropped her club, and sat up, rubbing her head.

"Oooowww... That really... ?"

She looked on the ground, and saw the tooth that had fallen out of her pocket.

She grabbed it, and clenched it in her fist.

She felt anger, and pain rise within her.

She stood, and punched the tree, tooth still clenched in her hand.

"DAMN YOU!" She screamed, the tree was being blasted into splinters by sheer force! Junichi wondered how much damage she could do with his training...

"You! YOU KILLED HIM! You're trash! You HEAR ME!? TRASH!"

She fell to her knees, and started to sob.

"Why...? Why am I so angry!? Who am I SO MAD AT!?"

The Leviathan's surrounded her.

She looked up, and froze.

"Mistress Hiro!" Said one. "Where is Max? You ran from us..."

She looked down.

"Max..."

She held her head.

"Max... I know that name! But HOW!? WHY!?"

She sobbed.

"Why does it make me so sad...?"

They all sat, and seemed sad.

"Then he's dead." He said.

They all let out agonizing screams...

Hiro got scared, and tried to run.

"No Mistress!" He exclaimed. "Please don't leave... We've lost Max, we can't lose our Mistress!"

She felt her knees grow weak, and fell.

She wailed. "Why!? Why does this cause me so much pain!? WHHHYYYYY!?"

They all surrounded her, comforting her as she wailed.

"He was your friend too..." Said another. "I am sorry."

She didn't know why yet, but this made her cry even harder.

She looked at the tooth...

 _"You said I could eat Lilith, and I will. I'll even save you some teeth!..."_

 _No... Not him..._

 _"Make me necklace out of it. And make it shiny, please."_

 _Not Max!_

 _(There's no other Leviathan I'd rather have by my side...)_

 _"Me too Mistress!"_

"MAAAAAAAAAXXX! NOT HIM! NOT MAX! NO! NOOO!"

All of her memories came flooding back to her.

 _"Best Lo Mein in the resort..."_

 _Mom..._

 _"You're like an angel, in a universe full of demons..."_

 _Eiji!_

 _"I love you... I love you so much!"_

 _DAD!_

 _"Good girl..."_

 _Not Rokuro..._

 _"And this page, and this one! Ooh, that's my favorite one! There's more explained on page 4523!"_

 _Oh Shisuta..._

 _"She's just so amazing! Did you know she has violet eyes!? I think she has the nicest eyes!"_

 _Karo..._

 _"And that's when Shisuta... Karo, not now I'm... Karo really!? Fine. Fine I'll help you..."_

 _Haruka._

 _"Hey, that's my...! Kid, that's my HAIR! Let go!... Oh man, did I make you cry? I'm sorry... Fine, you can swing on it, but just one more time... Hey! OOW!"_

 _Boh... What a champ._

 _"Ah..."_

 _That's all he really ever says..._

 _"I hate to say this... But we should restrain him until..."_

 _You... You horrible woman._

 _"You are all champions!"_

 _Liar! You horrible LYING COW!_

 _"Die! Die! Die! DIE!"_

 _Nooo! I HATE YOU! If I could kill you again!? I'D DO IT A THOUSAND TIMES SLOWER!_

 _THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!_

"Hiro...? Hiro, are you okay!?"

She looked over, and saw the others. Eiji ran up to her.

"Hiro! Please, tell me you're still there! Please!"

Her lower lip quivered.

"Eiji..."

He wrapped her in a hug.

Her parents ran up to her, and also hugged her.

"Hiro... Where were you!? Don't do that to us again..."

"M-Mom!" She wailed. "I missed you guys!"

"We missed you to..." Kuhn sniffed.

"Don't scare me like that!"

He sobbed. "I couldn't go on if you were gone! You're my entire world! Do you have any idea how... I love you! I'm so happy you're safe!"

It was a bittersweet reunion...

They had finally stopped disappearing, and came back to life...

They stood.

"Let's go home." Said Kuhn.

Everyone mumbled in agreement.

They started walking home.

Hiro spoke. "Hey Dad? Um, I was wondering if when Eiji and I get back We could-"

"No." Said Linn.

She scoffed. "But you didn't even let me finish..."

Linn smiled. "I didn't have to, because when you get home? You're grounded."

She gaped. "What!? But-!"

Kuhn laughed. "Oh no! Not this time young lady! You're in for two months."

Eiji gaped. "But, but that's not-!"

"Don't think you're getting off the hook." Said Haku.

"You're in for three and a half."

"This is so unfair..." He said, sulking.

Chihiro smiled. "Well, what you two did was also unfair. So deal with it."

They both sulked as much as they could on the way home, showing how much this displeased them...

...But on the inside? They were just happy to be going home.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25: Stargazing

I was sitting up in a chair.

I was in the former dining hall, and it was 1:00 am. I couldn't sleep, or rather... I wouldn't sleep.

Not there.

I sat, and looked out of the large window, staring blankly at the stars...

Nothing. I was nothing.

Without her? I couldn't move, let alone be a king... A champion.

What champion? There is no more champion.

...I was her champion, and now? I am no one's champion.

I stared up at the stars, and glared.

 _Just one thing I asked of you..._

 _One thing, and one thing only. I may have even given up this chase, had you answered..._

 _Now I suppose I have no choice. I cannot go on without her... In the end, it was more her mission than mine._

 _What would she have wanted? What would she have changed...?_

 _I know she would have mad things right..._

 _...I promised her..._

 _No! No more promises! They're ALL LIES IN THE END!_

I felt tears welling up in my eyes, I suppressed them.

I didn't want to feel. No, never again...

"Brother? Um... May I sit?"

I looked over, and saw Kuhn.

"You may." I replied.

He sat, looking down, and fidgeting with his hands. He did this when he was nervous, or guilty.

He sighed, and dropped his hands.

"You're doing it again, aren't you?"

I was silent.

"I can't stop you if that's what you decide to do..." He said softly.

"This must be hard... And I have no clue of what you're going through."

I stayed silent.

He looked out at the stars, and seem to zone off.

"Aren't they beautiful...?" He mused.

"No." I said.

He looked at me. "Why not?" He asked.

I didn't respond.

He shook his head. "Alright then..."

He continued to stare out... He smiled.

"Remember when we were fourteen, and you were still, well... You."

I looked at him.

"We were sitting by the campfire, and actually, it was the same day I'd fallen in the river... You wouldn't stop teasing me about it."

He laughed softly.

"Then Kaihn went on and on about how stupid and clumsy I was, and referred to me as a wet dog... 'In more ways than one.' He said. Then we both pushed him in the river, and hid his covers in the tree."

I sighed. "He never did find those, did he?"

Kuhn shook his head, and smiled.

"Nope, and come winter, they blew away!"

I smiled. "It's almost winter now. It doesn't happen often, and cycles through the centuries..."

I felt tears fill my eyes. "It's funny... She'd never seen pines covered in snow. I wanted to..."

I let out a soft sob. I attempted to bite back the tears, but they fell anyway.

"I just wanted..."

I heard Kuhn sniff, and I looked up at him.

His lower lip was trembling.

"Had it been Linn... Or Hiro... I wouldn't be as strong."

He thought I was strong? And all this time, I had been feeling pretty pathetic...

Worthless.

I cried on his shoulder, sobbing violently. I felt weak.

I felt pathetic.

How could I be strong?

"I'm not strong..." I said softly.

"I feel like my body is gelatin... Just filled with these worthless-"

"No, you're not worthless." He said.

"You're strong. You're still going on, and trying to find a reason... I couldn't, so I'd die."

I looked at him. "Y-You're serious!?"

He smiled sadly. "Not anymore. After seeing this, I... I could never just 'give up'. You have taught me just now, the honor in fighting for a purpose. The honor of someone's sacrifice..."

I shook my head and laughed softly, tears streaming down my face.

I let them.

"You're an idiot. However, that was wonderful..."

I looked out at the stars with him. I wasn't ready to go back to that room yet...

...But at the moment, I was at peace.

...

Eiji and Hiro were outside, hanging with the Leviathan's.

"Do you think our parents will find out about this?" Eiji asked worriedly.

Hiro laughed. "Nah, we'll be fine! Stop being such a worry wart, we won't get caught!"

He smiled. "I... I guess it's okay then...?"

She gave him a soft kiss.

"You guess...?" She asked softly.

The Leviathan's made ooing sounds in the background.

"I... Yeah..." Eiji melted.

Who was he kidding!? They would be fine! This was great!

"HOORAY FOR THE MASTER!" Screamed Talin.

"HE IS FINALLY BECOMING A MAN!"

Eiji froze.

"Hiro... We should really cut this short now!" He exclaimed.

She looked around nervously.

"Well, they do that all the time! They shouldn't know any better, as long as-"

"RIGHT HERE!" He screamed. "The prince of rain... HAS FOUND HIS PRINCESS! The Master..."

He began to cry happily. "THE MASTER! THE PRINCE OF RAIN IS HERE! AND A MISTRESS AND HIM ARE TOGETHER! ALL REJOICING!"

They all cheered.

"We need to back now!" He exclaimed.

"I'm serious! This was a bad idea!"

"Yes, it was." Said Haku.

Eiji turned to face his parents.

"Um! Um! Uuhhhh... Dammit, not again..."

"And you, YOUNG LADY!" Yelled Linn.

"Ah... Well..." She put her hand behind her head.

"I guess we got a little carried away... He he... Oh god..."

"The prince of rain?" Chihiro asked.

"No!" Eiji exclaimed. "Don't tell them!"

"I remember the DAY!" Talin preached.

"No! PLEASE DON'T!" Eiji begged.

"There had been no rain for centuries in... THE PIT!"

"THE PIT!" They scream chanted.

"There was A POND!"

"A POND!" They screamed.

Eiji dropped to his knees. "I'm begging you! STOP TELLING-!"

"A POND WITHIN THE MASTER!"

"THE MASTERS POND!" They screamed.

Eiji hung his head. "I'm doomed..."

"His pond... It released rain... RAIN UPON THE PIT! It was golden... It was SALTY! AND THERE WAS LAUGHTER!"

They all burst into maniacal laughter.

Haku grinned. "I see..." He said.

"The Prince of Rain huh?"

He laughed.

Linn busted out laughing.

"Well come on, 'Princess of Rain'! Let's go back so you can get some sleep! I'm sure you're familiar with sentences? You'll be up at six thirty! Writing them!"

Hiro went red. "Ah! No! Don't call me... Sentences!? AGAIN!? Dammit..."

Chihiro walked up to him. "Well, Rain Prince... How's the pond? We kind of caught you off guard."

They both started laughing.

"Hey... There was only on bathroom!" He exclaimed.

"It's not funny... So, six months...?"

He nearly cringed as he felt his freedom slipping away.

"Three and a half." Said Haku. "But you know we won't have you forgetting this, right?"

Eiji slumped as he stood. "Yes sir..."

Eiji went back to his room.

 _This is humiliating! I'll never live it down!_

 _...I can't face them! Not as the PRINCE OF RAIN!_

 _...I'll die of embarrassment! Or... Worse._

 _I'll have to go into hiding... I'll have to hear their laughter, from my hobbit hole._

 _Eiji the hermit, otherwise known as PRINCE OF RAIN!_

 _Poor Hiro... I'd know she'd miss me..._

 _I wonder how she's doing?_

...

Hiro stared out at the window.

Kuhn walked in.

"Really Hiro!? Uuuugh... Do you always have to... Are you listening?"

She sighed happily, and stared out the window.

"Wow... What pretty stars..."


	26. Chapter 26

****I have another link. It kind of fit's what Kahn is going through. Its called, 'Love the Way You Lie' Sung by Skylar Grey.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=h0Xto9c1ejM

 **I hope you're all enjoying this, and reviews are encouraged. Constructive criticism only please... I will not take suggestions from hateful posts. My reviews have all been good ones so far. So thanks!**

 **All opinions are welcome. :D**

 **Enjoy Chapter 26! :)****

Chapter 26: Sentences

Hiro was up early in the morning. She was actually up at five.

She'd been able to clear her mind, so she woke up with loads of extra energy.

Her mom was sitting at the table, drinking coffee. She jumped when she saw Hiro.

"Good morning mom!" She exclaimed. "I'm up early! So... Sentences? I guess... Can I have breakfast first?"

Kuhn blinked. "Hiro? Is that you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Who else would I be? Eiji? Well, possibly..."

He sighed. "Yep, it's you..."

He stopped.

"Hey Hiro, have any dreams last night?"

She smiled. "Nope!" She skipped to the kitchen, and looked for breakfast.

Linn stared as she frolicked away.

"Whathe...? Thehellis... I'm goinback to sleep..."

She walked toward the room.

"And just when I'd gotten her up to..." He mumbled.

She skipped into the kitchen.

"Oh, hi Karo! Are you...?" She sniffed.

"It's missing something." She said.

He blinked. "Good morning...? What could it possibly be missing?"

She looked at his chili pot. It was good, yes. But it was lacking a specific kick.

She had learned how to cook from the Leviathan's.

She grabbed a small amount of cinnamon, and put it in.

Then a couple shots of Tabasco sauce.

He looked at it warily.

"Are you sure...?"

She nodded. "Positive."

He finished it up, and they both grabbed the first bowls.

"Wow, that is good!" He exclaimed.

"It has a certain... Kick to it! I like it!"

She smiled. "You did most of it! I just added some finishing touches..."

She shoved in another spoonful, and gave a happy sigh.

"That's really tastey!"

They left the kitchen, and Hiro sat down with her parents as Karo and Shisuta served the Refugees.

I had heard that this place wasn't the resort any more... It made me kind of sad.

The people were wowed by the chili.

"This is so delicious!" One exclaimed.

"Eiji, right? You have to try this!"

Hiro looked over, and saw Eiji sitting with one off the refugees. She was a woman with short brown hair, and light brown eyes. She had a son that looked a couple years younger than Eiji.

He smiled. "Sure! I'll try some..."

He got himself a bowl, and took a bite. He smiled.

"That IS really good." He gave me knowing look.

I rolled my eyes and smiled.

Linn laughed. "What was that all about?"

She smiled. "I helped with breakfast this morning."

Kuhn laughed. "Wow! It's pretty awesome. Karo must have really appreciated that..."

Linn smiled. "I haven't touched mine yet... Here goes!"

She put a spoonful in her mouth.

She swallowed, and started fanning her mouth.

"Hot! Hot! Wow, that's spicy!"

She gulped down her water, and coughed.

"Right, that just... Makes it worse!"

Kuhn raised an eyebrow. "It's really not that spicy..."

She gave a death glare. "My mouth is on fire, Kuhn!"

He looked at her for a moment...

 _Linn likes spicy food, but there are times when she doesn't..._

 _When was the last time? It was..._

 _She was pregnant with Hiro._

 _She's... No way! Wow... That's so..._

 _Scary. Do I really want to raise a little one again?_

 _Wonderful! Maybe it will be a boy this time!_

 _Hiro might be excited, siblings can be pretty awesome._

 _Hiro might hate the idea! She's a teenager, and she probably doesn't want siblings now!_

 _What if it's like Hiro, and sleeps well... Well, at infancy._

 _What if it's NOT like Hiro! And cries constantly!_

 _What if it IS like Hiro, and can see ghosts!?_

 _What if Linn has twins! TRIPLETS! That, is a definite possibility!_

 _What if she has triplets, and THEY can see ghosts!?_

Kuhn was pale.

"Umm... Earth to Dad? Hello in there..."

Hiro knocked on his head.

He looked at her. "Huh? What!?"

She laughed. "You're so spacey today!"

He nodded. "Yeah... I am."

Linn looked at him. "Are you doing okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Hiro nodded. "I know that look! I see ghosts!"

Linn laughed. "Get it... ghosts?"

He laughed.

"Um, what?" Hiro asked. "I don't get it."

Linn shook her head. "It's not something you would get, kind of an inside joke."

Hiro nodded. "Okay."

Linn looked down at her chilli, then her eyes went wide.

She grabbed Kuhn, and walked out of the room.

Hiro cracked her knuckles.

"I guess I don't have to do sentences after all!"

She walked back to her room.

She had started to feel tired again.

"Maybe just a short nap..."

Hiro closed her eyes...

"Nope! Get up, I have the notebook prepared!"

She sat, and saw her note pad and pen in front of her. Junichi was grinning.

"You didn't think I'D forget, did you!? Ha, well... Ask your mother how forgetful I am..."

She looked at him with tired, rolled eyes.

"Eerrrghhhh... I was just about to fall asleep too."

She sighed. "So what's today's poison?"

He smiled. "Look down."

She did. The top sentence went like this...

"Rain, rain go away. I'm not old enough to date today."

She gaped. "You want ME!? T-To write THAT!? HOW MANY TIMES!?"

He grinned. "Only 2500 times. I'm sure you'll manage, it's not a trick sentence."

She glared, and started writing.

"Remember, numbering." He corrected.

She groaned with annoyance.

"I know! I got it already..."

She was NOT happy.

About 700 sentences in, Linn walked in.

"I did NOT spell it wrong!?" She gaped.

"There's no way I would spell 'enough' WRONG!"

She paused.

She scoffed. "Oh, okay then! Show me! I bet your wrong!"

Linn saw the pen lift, and point at a spot on the paper. It moved, and pointed to another.

"What!? NO WAY! I... I can't start over! I got like, 704 sentences down! Damn you!"

She gaped. "No. No, I'm not writing it down 3000 times! That's 500 more than the original!"

She glared. "Haha, well aren't you just a smart ass..."

Linn laughed. "You're just making it worse!"

She shook her head. "3000? Now what would possess you to do that Junichi?"

Hiro sighed. "It's because when I'd lost my memories, I called him a hallucination. I was scared, so I was pretty mean to him... He asked me to write 500 sentences, and I wrote down 1500 instead."

She glared at an empty spot, it was probably him.

"He's doing it, because he KNOWS I can..."

She grinned. "Well, can't blame him there!"

She sighed. "Hiro... Can you see him?"

Hiro looked at her curiously.

"Y-Yeah? I can..."

Linn breathed slowly. "What does he look like...?"

Hiro gave her a look of worry, but replied.

"He has... Like... Brown hair, but lighter than yours. Blue eyes, um... He's tall... And... Well, he used to speak in riddles sometimes, but I think that went away..."

Linn remembered now. This was harder for her than she had thought it would be.

She nodded slowly. "Okay..."

Hiro had tears in her eyes.

"Mom... He told me to tell you..."

She looked up. "What? What did he say?"

Hiro's eyes spilled over with tears.

"He says... He wishes his warrior princess well. He also says... Goodbye..."

Linn covered her mouth, and let out a sob.

Hiro ran up to her, and gave her a hug.

"I knew it would make you cry..." She said softly.

She held her close. "I'm sorry Hiro... I didn't mean to..."

Hiro shook her head. "It's okay." She said.

"I'd do the same thing if it was Max."

She looked down at Hiro, and smiled.

"You look so much like Kuhn, but act so much like me."

She grinned. "But you're a damn nutcase in the morning's, like your Father."

Hiro laughed. "Yeah! I was tired today though..."

She folded her arms. "And why do you think that is?"

My notepad floated to Linn. I tried to grab it, but to no avail!

She read the sentence, and rolled around on the ground laughing.

"I'm telling Kuhn that one! Awesome!"

Hiro hung her head.

"This is a disaster..."

Linn laughed. "Well, you've certainly gotten some interesting sentences? What was her first one?"

She rolled her eyes. "It was old speak, because I spoke 'old speak' wrong... Apparently."

Linn read it. "Oh, your right. Well, that's a surprise!"

Hiro laughed. "Lately my whole life's been a surprise... What's next? You're pregnant?"

Linn stopped.

"Oh god... Actually...? That's what I came up here to tell you."

Hiro stopped and looked at her, then busted out laughing.

"Good one Mom! You almost... Got me...?"

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious!? What!?"

Linn sighed. "Yep, I'm serious."

Thoughts went rushing through Hiro's mind.

 _Mom's pregnant!? That's so..._

 _Scary. I don't know if I want a sibling._

 _Weird... Mom's pregnant? I don't want to think about that._

 _Kind of cool. I mean, I could get a brother..._

What if I end up with two brothers!?

 _Three sister!? Triplet's! That is a possibility isn't it!?_

 _What if I have to BABYSIT ALL THREE!?_

 _what if I could teach them to be awesome like Eiji and I?_

 _Yeah! I'd show them Leviathan's, and cake dumplings, and how to use a club, and where mom's explosives are! Yes! That would be awesome!_

 _Dude... I'd be one kickass sister._

She smiled. "Cool, I guess."

Linn blinked. "So your not upset?"

Hiro laughed. "Not at all! I'm sure things will work out fine!"

She nodded. "Then I'll let your Father know you said so."

Hiro grinned as she left the room.

She put her hands behind her head.

"This is going to be awesome..."

Junichi shook his head.

"Why do I get the feeling that I'll have to concoct more sentences?"

She smiled. "Probably because you will."


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27: Cycles of Mischief

Eiji was asleep. He was having fairly pleasant dreams.

Hiro was in the dream... She was near this glowing pond and they were sitting next to it.

Eiji smiled. "The pond makes your eyes look really gorgeous..."

Hiro sighed happily. "Yeah, you too..."

Eiji looked back at the pond.

"I wonder where we are?" He asked.

"This dream is starting to feel strange..."

Hiro blinked. "No it's not. I was enjoying the hapiness. Damn, why did you have to remind me it was a dream? I have to wake up tomorrow and do more sentences."

Eiji stopped. "You sound a lot more like the real Hiro than a dream Hiro..."

She looked at him. "Your the REAL Eiji!? Then what are you doing here!?" She exclaimed.

"Well, I could ask you the same question!" He replied.

She smiled. "This is so cool. I'll tell you about the dream in the morning, to make sure you were in it."

"Well, don't wake up yet!" Eiji exclaimed.

"I still want to see what's in that pond..."

"Should we jump in?" Hiro asked.

Eiji nodded. "Yeah, but let's go together... I'm still getting a weird feeling."

Hiro shook her head. "Alright, but you're such a worry wart!"

They held hands, and jumped inside of the pond.

They seemed to float to the bottom.

Eiji held his hand over his mouth, trying to get back up. Hiro tapped in on the shoulder.

"We can breath you know?" She said. She looked amused.

He removed his hand. She was right, they could breath.

He sighed. "Well I didn't know that!"

She laughed. "You're such a dork sometimes!"

He laughed nervously. "Yeah, I hope I'm not too weird though..."

She gave him a soft kiss. Then another.

"I don't think it's bad..." She said softly.

She looked around. "This place is HUGE! Come on Eiji, let's look around!"

Hiro grabbed his arm, and they ran. She was taking him away from the strange feeling, and in a pleasant direction.

There were... Some kind of rooftops up ahead. They were pointed, and looked green and gold.

"Do you see that!?" Eiji exclaimed.

"Yeah." Hiro replied. "Let's get a closer look..."

They stopped in front of some kind of city. There was a castle in the center, but the city itself seemed to span out forever.

"Oh wow... Let's go in the castle Eiji! That sounds like fun."

Eiji nodded. "Let's do it!"

They opened the doors, and walked inside.

The doors slammed shut behind them.

Eiji woke up, startled by the dream.

It was late...

"What!? What time is it!?"

He heard a knock on the door.

"Come in." He said.

Hiro walked in. "It's about 10:00. That's when I sleep in, is when I wake up at 10:00, no earlier, no later."

She sat on his bed.

"Did we share that dream?" She asked.

Eiji's eyes widened. "So you WERE there!"

He looked down. "What do you think was up with that castle."

She shrugged. "I don't know, but it sure was beautiful..."

"Hiro!" Her mom yelled. "Time to start your sentences!"

Hiro groaned. "Oh god why...? I just... Don't want to."

Eiji shook his head. "If you'd stay out of trouble, you wouldn't be in this mess."

She folded her arms. "So I picked the grand lock on the safe... It's not like I was going to take anything, I just wanted to see if I could! ...And, I could. And I did. See you Eiji..."

She walked downstairs. "Coming! But can I eat breakfast first!?"

"Eat while you're writing!" She yelled.

"Okay..." Said Hiro loudly.

Eiji laughed softly. "Why does she always do that...?"

...

Hiro had a chunk of cheese and a slice of toast for breakfast.

 _Ha, it's like slave wages!_

She mused on this thought for a moment.

She looked down at her note padpad, and today's poison was...

"This is the( penance for picking padlocks,)I will not do that, and salvage my freedom. 3000 times."

Why the parentheses...?

She looked at the arrow pointed down at the parentheses, and followed it to a side note.

"Say that five times fast...

Love: Dad."

Hiro laughed. "Oh dad, that was awesome!"

She tried saying it five times fast.

"And impossible... Wow."

She started writing and numbering her sentences.

She'd gotten down to about 1200 when she started to zone off.

 _that castle was so beautiful... Everything looked so amazing!_

She flipped her notepad to a back page.

 _I Have paper and pen here, I should draw it! I bet I could, I'm not horrible at drawing... Not I like to show them off or anything, but my drawing's aren't bad..._

She started to draw out the castle in detail, and drew the city around it. She drew Eiji and herself standing there in front of if. She drew in the light coming down by darker and lighter spots with the pen... This was turning out okay...

"Hiro? Are you even writing anymore?"

She jumped, causing an ink streak to go across her picture.

She looked at her dad. "I...I am so sorry! I got distracted, I really did, and..."

She looked down at her picture.

"What!? ...Aaawww... I was just about... Finished."

He walked over, and looked at the picture.

"That looks... Amazing! I didn't know you could draw like that!?"

She sighed sadly. "But now it's ruined... Look at that? That will never go away..."

He shook his head, and smiled.

"I told them this wouldn't work. You're like me that way, because you can't hold still and your mind tends to wander..."

She looked up at him.

He sat down across from her, and leaned his elbows on the table.

"Why did you do that Hiro? You know it only gets you in trouble right?"

She sighed. "I just wanted to see if I could... I was going to close it."

"You still shouldn't have gone behind our backs." He said. "Trying to hide things from people, in the long term, it only hurts you. I mean, yeah we get mad at you. In the end, it's your trust and reputation that's hurt, and only you will have to answer for it."

Did they not trust her? She knew she had it coming, but it still stung.

She looked away. "You guys don't trust me... I guess I should know why..."

He sighed. "Well? You haven't given us a lot of reasons yet..."

She was mad, and she wanted to be mad at him. But in reality, she was hurt, and frustrated with herself. She wanted a better reason to cry, or to be angry... But there was none.

She felt guilty that she had caused her parents not to trust her.

Hurt that they didn't trust her.

Resentment, because she knew they wouldn't trust her even if save became trust worthy.

She was stuck in a cycle of guilt, where she felt if she tried, nothing would come of it.

When she harnessed the built up resentment to mess up, she just felt worse, and would want to make things right.

She teared up. She stood.

"Just go away." She said.

She walked out of the room.


	28. Chapter 28

****Hello readers. I have no links today, but I am asking a question... Sort of. I try to add some realistic traits to characters, and realistic scenarios within the story. I try to keep in mind that this is a fantasy, so I add aspects of that in as well...**

 **How am I doing? Does it flow well? Is the pace too fast? Slow? All over the place? Like it? Dislike it? Why?**

 **Whether it's good or bad, this feedback will help me become a better writer. One day I want to publish books, so this is a good practice ground. I won't have headers like this in real books, I'll only have reviews from real critics.**

 **So any feedback is appreciated!**

 **Enjoy Chapter 28! :)****

Chapter 28: In the Castle

Hiro was asleep. She felt her mind drifting, and this familiar feeling wash over her.

She sat up, and she was in the castle. Eiji was with her.

"This again?" He asked. "It's like we're where we left off..."

Hiro looked around. "Where are we? Is this place real or not?"

Eiji looked at her. "I'm starting to get a feeling that this is more real than we first thought."

Hiro looked around the room. It was dark, and there wasn't much light coming in because the windows were all boarded off.

Hiro looked up. "I wonder if I could..."

She jumped, and flew upward.

"How did you do that!?" Eiji gaped.

"I just DID!" Hiro exclaimed. "Eiji, you have to try this! It's awesome!"

He jumped, but he jumped normally.

"I...I can't." He said.

She sighed. "Yes you can! You have to know you can, I think that's how it works!"

Eiji looked up. "Yeah... Let's try again."

 _If she can jump, then I can FLY!_

He floated up, and laid down on the air next to her. His position was relaxed, and he held his hands behind his head.

"Yeah, check this out!"

Hiro laughed. "Wow, you're such a show off!"

He grinned. "Maybe just a little..."

She smiled. "Help me get these boards off, can you?"

He nodded.

They started pulling all of the boards off of the windows, and lighting up the castle's interior.

They floated back down.

"It still looks a little dull..." Said Hiro.

Eiji looked at the walls. "Look, there are candles on the walls. We could light those!"

Hiro looked at him. "With what, Eiji?"

He grinned. He held out his hands, and the candles lit.

"By being more creative than you!" He laughed.

She smirked. "Oh yeah? Watch this!"

Chandeliers formed on the ceiling, and brightened up the whole place.

"This is awesome!" Eiji exclaimed.

Hiro looked ahead. "Eiji... Look at that."

He did, and saw a set of stairs going down. The path was lit by torches.

"Was this here before?" She asked.

He shook his head. "I don't think so..."

They walked down the torchlit path. A trap door closed behind them.

They looked back. "I'm starting to get kind of creeper out." Said Hiro.

"No kidding." Said Eiji. "Should we just stay here?"

Hiro shook her head. "I think we have to move forward. There are lots of rules we make, but I guess there are some basic ones we have to follow. That's what I'm picking up on..."

Eiji nodded. "Alright then."

They moved forward, and saw a bright and beautiful room in front of them.

They ran in, and their sight went dark.

They grabbed on to each other.

"I can't see!" Eiji exclaimed.

"Yeah, neither can I!" Hiro replied.

They walked around. Hiro noticed something.

"Eiji, the floor looked like marble when we saw it, but it feels like dirt."

He shuffled his feet. "You're right, it does."

Hiro felt a wall, it was stone...

There was a hole. She traced her hand around it.

Clawed hands shot out of the hole, and grabbed her, cutting up her hand.

She let out a painful yelp, and pulled back.

"What happened!?" Eiji exclaimed.

"I-I don't know!" She replied. "But my hand hurts, don't touch the walls! Why aren't we waking up!?"

"That's a good question!" He said, he sounded scared.

They heard a grumble in the room.

Hiro woke up.

She looked at her hand... It was bloody, and all torn up.

She turned pale.

"It's... It's real..."

She jumped as the door cracked open.

"It's just me." Said Eiji.

She sighed. Then she got slightly dizzy.

"Uh oh..."

She turned the lights on, and quickly wrapped hear hand with a spare T shirt.

Eiji gaped. "Hiro! Your hand! So..."

He went pale. "These dreams are real..."

She nodded shakily. "Y-Yeah... We could really get hurt in this. Did you hear the growling...?"

His breath was trembling. "Yes.. I.. I did. What's going to happen Hiro? It's still dark out..."

She shook her head. "I don't think the dreams happen twice in one night... But I still don't want to go back to sleep."

She felt another wave of dizziness. Blood was soaking through the T shirt, and the bleeding wouldn't stop.

She fell to her knees.

"What's happening...?"

Eiji ran up to her. "Hiro, the bleeding hasn't stopped. We have to tell our parents."

"Th-They'll never believe us..." She said.

He looked at her hand. "Well, they'd better. Stay there, I'm getting them now."

Hiro waited, and watched as the blood dripped from the soaked T shirt.

Her eyes felt heavy, and she didn't notice the amount of blood soaking the carpet...

"See! I'm not lying! It wasn't JUST a bad dream, those aren't normal dreams!"

Her head bobbed back and forth.

"Wow... What the...? It hasn't stopped yet."

She saw her dad, and Kahn in front of her. Kahn tried to heal her.

"Why is it taking so long!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"I don't know." Said Kahn. "It seems to be the work of an anticoagulant."

Shisuta took samples of the fallen blood.

"That is a nasty one alright!" She exclaimed.

She concocted an antidote, and handed Kahn that, plus a serum.

"Here, do it quickly."

They injected both an antidote, and the serum. Her eyes felt more awake.

She looked around, and saw all of that blood...

Something triggered, and she started shaking. She closed her eyes, and couldn't move.

She had never seen so much blood... Even when she'd broken her arm, the skin stretched, but didn't bust. Eiji's blood mess was cleaned up before she saw it. She had hardly noticed the small amount then. Even in the pit, she was never exposed to much of it.

She realized that all of the times she had shed blood, she didn't really remember any of it.

She remembered the aftermath of the pub, and she ran from that.

She was surrounded by it now...

Blood...

Blood!

SO MUCH BLOOD!

She was shaking heavily.

"B...Blood... S-So much... Blood!"

"Hiro... Calm down..." Said Shisuta.

"I can't!" She yelled. "Just get it AWAY!"

"Open your eyes Hiro..." Said Eiji.

She shook her head sharply.

"You'll only see me, I promise..." He said.

Her eyes squinted open, then focused.

He stood with her, leading her out of the room.

"Hemophobia." Said Shisuta. "An intense fear of blood."

Eiji's eyes had relaxed her, and he had already finished cleaning the blood off of her.

She sighed. "Sorry about that..."

He shook his head. "No, it's no problem..."

He gave her soft kisses on the lips.

He looked down. "These dreams... What do we do?"

She sighed. "Let me think. The next time we go in, that grumble... Whatever it was, it will probably want to hurt us. We need to find the next place, and then I can find a pattern. The third place might determine a pattern, because it's an odd number, and only two things have happened."

"What are you saying?" He asked.

"I might be wrong." She said. "But I think the next place will be nice like the first one. Even patterns will always repeat on an odd number, that's what I'm saying. I have a feeling, that's all."

"What about an odd pattern?" He asked.

"The opposite." She said. "It repeats on an even number. I'm getting an even pattern vibe from this though..."

"Maybe there's not a pattern." He said.

She looked at him. "There is ALWAYS a pattern. In any case, we'll find out next time we sleep."

He shivered. "Yeah... IF we find out."

He had a point. If they died in the dream, they'd never find out, because they'd die. Hiro had a feeling that if they died in the dream, it was bad. Worse than bad.

 _I don't know what this is, but I'm finding out. We won't die, I'll make sure of it._


	29. Chapter 29

****Another link. It describes how Hiro feels about the castle, her and Eiji, and her life in general.**

 **It's called, "And so I Pray' by Jem.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=STATfISUYrc

 **I hope you like it!**

 **Enjoy Chapter 29! :)****

Chapter 29: Falling Clouds

Eiji and Hiro were still awake.

They were sitting in the dining hall, eating Lo Mein for breakfast.

Hiro hummed happily. "Yum... I haven't had Mom's Lo Mein in ages! This is so good..."

Eiji smiled, sucking up noodles. One flipped up, and hit him in the eye.

"Ah! Ow! There's noodle juice in my eye!"

Hiro laughed. "I don't think noodles have juice Eiji..."

He gave a slight pout. "But it's there... It's in my eye."

Hiro laughed, then shivered.

"G-Geeze... It's so cold today! What the hell sky!?"

Eiji nodded. "I know right!? I walked across the ground barefoot, and the ground was so cold, it made me jump."

Hiro looked outside, and stopped.

"Eiji... Look at that!"

He did, and his eyes widened.

"Woah... They look like... Like falling clouds!"

Hiro looked at him. "Do you think they would mind if we ran out and ran back in? It looks super fluffy!"

She walked to the window.

"Wow! It's all over the ground!"

Eiji ran over. "You're right! Come on, let's jump in it, and then we'll go back inside!"

Hiro nodded eagerly. "Sounds like a solid plan to me."

They ran to the front door, and tackled the fluffy white mass on the ground.

They laughed, and then they realized how cold it was...

More cold fluffiness fell on them from the arch of the door. They poked their heads out.

"It's COLD!" Hiro exclaimed.

"It's so deceiving!" He agreed. "I thought it would be SOFT!"

They climbed out of the snow, and back inside.

Kuhn and Chihiro walked by.

"D-D-Don't t-touch the f-fluffy s-stuff!" Hiro shivered.

"Its d-d-death!" Eiji finished.

They stopped, and stared at them for a moment.

They busted out laughing.

"I can see you noticed the snow!" Kuhn laughed.

"How did that work out for you?"

Eiji looked down. "J-Just please! C-Can we have some d-dry clothes!?"

"Or a t-towel..." Said Hiro.

Chihiro laughed. "Hold on a minute, I'll get some towels, and then you two should go to your rooms and get changed. Something longer and warmer would be best."

They both nodded.

Hiro sat down in a chair...

She was so wet, and cold. All she could think about was how soaked she was...

Her mind drifted...

Like soaked... In a pond.

She felt the chair grow beneath her. She jumped.

"Ah! What the!?"

She jumped high.

"Ahh! Heeeeelp-ribbit!"

Her voice was a high pitched frog squeak. She neared the ground, and jumped again.

"Eiji!-ribbit! What just happened!? Make it stop!-ribbit!"

"Uh guys!? HIRO'S A FROG!"

They ran in.

"Heeelp meee!-ribbit! I can't stop!-ribbit!"

They were all rolling around and laughing.

"You guys SUCK!-RIBBIT!"

Eiji caught her. "Are you okay!?" He exclaimed.

"No I'm not OKAY!? I'M A FROG!" She squeaked.

Kuhn kept on laughing.

"Haku! Go... Just help her, I can't move!"

He laughed, but got up and held her.

"Origins of water, return her form..."

She was normal again. "What just happened!?" She exclaimed.

"You shifted forms." Said Haku. "We all do it, this one was just your first."

Chihiro laughed. "I remember my first, I was a fish, and I fell into a pond. Haku had to get me out!"

Hiro sighed. "Okay then... I wonder how I did it? And why a frog?"

Kuhn smiled. "That all depends on what you were thinking about. Sometimes emotions play a big part in shifting. There are also animals you'll be more prone to, that's normal."

She grinned. "Cool! I can turn into a frog! ...But it doesn't seem very useful."

Linn shrugged. "You never know when something small will come in handy... Some small things are dangerous too."

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, I guess so."

Eiji shivered. "I'm still cold. I'm getting changed."

Hiro walked with him toward her room.

"Good idea."

She went in, and grabbed a longer sleeved dark blue shirt. She put on some longer jeans too.

"Well, it's the best I have. I wasn't really prepared for the freezing cold..."

She walked out. Eiji walked out with a longer sweater, a brown jacket, a green scarf, grey gloves, and some warm looking pants.

"How do you have all of THAT!?" She exclaimed.

He shrugged. "I guess my Mom's crazy intuition pays off sometimes."

She kind of liked how it looked on him anyway.

She walked up to him, and gave him a soft kiss.

"I like it."

He went red.

He pulled her into an embrace, pressing more heated kisses on her lips. She kissed back with equal passion...

"Hey! No, not happening!"

Hiro jumped as her Dad walked toward them.

He separated them.

"That's six feet." He said. "That's the rule, six feet away."

She tried to suppress an eyeroll.

"Dad, but that's taller than I am, and him."

He shook his head. "No exceptions."

"But-!"

He looked at her. "No. No exceptions, end of story."

She glared. "Great, yet another thing you don't trust me with."

She walked to her room, and shut the door.

She stayed there until it was dark.

She had been very happy the other day, but today she was weirdly tired, and feeling kind of sad.

"Well, today wasn't the best of days..." She tried.

She sighed, and curled up on her bed. It was dim in the room, and sadness just seemed to flow into her.

"Why am I so sad...?" She whispered.

"Hiro, are you alright?"

She turned to Junichi.

"No. I feel sad."

He phased over to her bed, and sat next to her.

"Why are you sad?" He asked.

"I just am..." She replied softly.

He sighed. "I used to have the same problem in life. I would be happy, or extremely energetic one day, and extremely depressed the next few."

She looked up at him. "Then you know what I'm talking about...?"

He nodded. "Yes. It can be awful... However, lying around won't help you. Dinner is ready, so you should eat."

She rolled over. "I'm not hungry."

He phased in front of her.

"No, but you'll eat anyway. You can't just starve."

She rolled over again. "Watch me."

He rolled her out of bed.

"Eat. Or I'll roll you down the stairs and force feed you. Your choice."

She stood, and walked silently to the door.

She walked downstairs, and sat with her parents. It was shrimp tonight.

She poked it with her fork, putting small pieces in her mouth when Junichi gave her the look.

"Hiro, you know you're too young to be dating, right?" Linn said.

She was silent.

"Hiro, answer your mother." Said Kuhn.

"I like Eiji though..." She said softly.

Linn sighed. "I know. Give it a couple more years though..."

She nodded, not really listening.

"Hiro."

She nodded.

"Hiro, are you listening!?"

She looked at him. She had finished half of her shrimp.

She stood up, and walked away.

"No, we're not done talking." He said.

She continued to walk away.

He stood. "Young lady, don't walk away from me! And-"

She spun around. "Just SHUT UP!" She screamed. "All you EVER DO, IS GET MAD AT ME!"

"Then go to your room!" He yelled. "We'll talk later."

She glared, but tears spilled out of her eyes.

"Fine, I was going to stay there anyway! But someone made me come down and eat!"

She stormed off to her room, shut the door, and locked it.

She cried as silently as possible.

"Hiro..."

"Not right now Junichi..." She sobbed.

He went away, but she could still feel him watching.

That was fine with her.

She laid there silently as an argument broke between her Mom and Dad.

"Well, do you really think sentences will help!? Obviously something's not working!"

Linn scoffed. "Do you really want to criticize my methods? Because I can see yours worked just fantastic!"

"Oh, so we're going there now!?" He exclaimed.

Hiro covered her ears. "I can't take it anymore!" She exclaimed.

She walked over to her window.

"I'll just sneak out! At least then I won't have to listen to this shit!"

She climbed out of the window, and down the ivy.

Junichi appeared in front of her.

"Go back inside." He said.

She kept walking.

He phased in front of her.

"Go back. Now." He said. He made her leg go numb.

"Th-This is none of your... of your..."

She collapsed in the snow, and was pulled into a dream.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Blue

Linn looked down, she hated yelling and conflict.

"Why are we even fighting?" She asked softly.

"I'm sorry... I can stop the sentences, and you're right, they're not working. What was your idea?"

He froze.

He didn't have a better idea. He had just yelled at Linn, and there was no reason attached to it.

He wrapped her in a hug.

"I have no clue... I'm sorry..."

He gave her a soft kiss, tears slipping from good eyes.

"She has me pulling my hair out, but I was too hard on her..."

His lower lip was trembling.

"I don't know what to do...? She's a mess, and I don't know how to fix it... Linn, I'm a bad Father!"

Linn shook her head. "No, you're not. Bad father's don't think they're bad father's. I would know, I had one..."

He sniffed. "Maybe I should talk to her..."

He walked upstairs, and opened the door to her room.

Her window was open.

"You've got to be KIDDING ME!?" He yelled.

He looked outside nervously. It was snowing heavily, and there were no footprints.

 _She could get really cold, really fast in this weather. A storm like this would be easy to get lost in..._

 _I'll look for her. I hope she's okay..._

...

Hiro had found Eiji through their voices. They were running down halls, being chased by a growling monster.

The only reason they hadn't been swallowed, was because Hiro had found the hall in time.

"Why can't we lose it!?" Eiji exclaimed.

"I d-d-don't kn-know..."

Hiro had been extremely cold this whole time. She didn't remember falling asleep in the snow.

At this pace, she'd slow him down.

She was strong enough to take it, she thought... Hopefully.

She let go of Eiji, and turned to face the growl.

"BACK!" She screamed, standing in a defensive position.

The growling stopped.

"H-Hiro! What have you...? No growling?"

She stood her ground. "Th-That's right... Stay."

She heard it whine, and walk toward them.

"Ah! Sit!" She yelled.

It sat. And you could feel the wind of a massive tail wagging.

It panted, and barked happily.

"A dog...?" Eiji asked.

"I th-th-think so..." Hiro shivered.

"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.

Their sight returned, and they were in the marble room. The dog was more like a gigantic wolf, prancing about and wagging it's tail.

Eiji stared at Hiro. "Your lips are blue!"

He ran over to her and held her hands.

"Hiro, are you...? You're hands are ice cold! What's wrong!?"

She held herself, and sat on the floor, shivering.

"I'm s-so cold..." She whispered.

"Wh-Why am I so... c-c-cold..."

Eiji wrapped her with his coat. He even made blankets to try to warm her. Nothing worked.

Her eyes felt heavy. "I'm so... Tired."

She was freezing to death.

Eiji shook her.

"No, none of that! Stay awake!"

Her head bobbed back and forth, her eyes opening and closing...

"HIRO! Stay awake!"

Her eyes closed.

"Hiro? Hiro! WAKE UP!"

He felt a tear slip, he gave her a soft kiss...

"Hiro... Please wake up."

...

Kuhn and Linn had been looking for a little while now.

They had searched in and out of the grounds, but hadn't found her.

"I hope she's okay..." Said Linn.

Kuhn sighed. "I do too-"

His foot hit something... Someone.

He dropped, and dug through the snow.

Hiro was lying in the snow, her lips were blue, and her hands, nose, and ears were frostbitten.

They got her back to the Warrior's Respite, but she was in bad shape.

Shisuta gave her some warming medicine, while Kahn healed the parts that swelled up after the frostbitten parts had thawed.

Color started to return to her face, but she stayed asleep.

...

Eiji saw the color return to her face.

"Hiro, Hiro! Are you okay!?"

Her eyes fluttered open.

"Eiji...?"

He hugged her, sobbing softly.

"I thought you were going to die..." He whispered.

She removed the pile of blankets.

"I thought I was too..."

She kissed him softly.

"But I didn't..."

He held her close, pressing soft kisses on her lips. They became more heated, and Hiro started running her hands through his hair. He breathed in, and let out a deep breath.

She took in a sharp breath as his lips trailed her neck...

The the dog pounced on Eiji, licking his face.

"Ah! What the-!? Dog, get off! I don't want kisses from you right now!"

Hiro sighed. "Great, so I guess not even dreams are free anymore..."

The dog sat in front of Hiro.

"You were in danger." He said.

She jumped. "Y-You just talked!"

"Yes. I like the boy... So I only licked him... Why was he strangling you?"

She rolled her eyes. "He wasn't strangling me, we were just... He was hugging me."

"Well I don't like it." He said.

She groaned with annoyance. "Of course you don't..."

He wagged his tail.

"Can we play!? I want to play! You should give me name, and then we can play!"

She laughed. "Okay fido, let's play!"

He shook his head. "I don't like that name, choose a different one..."

Hiro stopped.

"What do you want to play after I name you?" She asked.

He wagged his tail excitedly. "It's a secret!"

Hiro looked at Eiji.

"That's the next test."

Eiji sighed. "Then... Then don't name him yet. We should wait until we wake up, maybe we don't have to go further than this."

"I'll wait then!" Said the dog happily, prancing around again.

"Now we just wait for morning." Said Eiji.

Morning came, and they didn't wake up.

...

"I can't wake her up!" Linn exclaimed.

"What do you think's going on!?"

Kuhn shook her, and she didn't budge.

"I don't know, why isn't she waking up!?"

Haku and Chihiro ran downstairs.

"Something's wrong." Said Haku.

Chihiro spoke. "It's Eiji, he won't wake up!"

They both froze.

"Look at Hiro, we dragged her down here, and she's still out!"

Chihiro stopped.

"Those dreams they mentioned... What do you think it means?"

Haku thought for a moment.

"Eiji mentioned it being somewhat of a puzzle. If that's the case then I'd assume they're stuck until they figure it out..."

Kuhn looked down at Hiro.

"I hope you're doing okay in there kid..."

...

Hiro felt her stomach growl.

"Eiji, this isn't working. We have to solve this, or I don't think we CAN wake up!"

Eiji nodded. "Okay then, let's give him a good name, but first..."

Hiro's club appeared in his hand.

"We can make things happen here, remember? It's worth a shot."

Hiro nodded. "Good idea."

She made a suit of impenetrable armor on her.

Eiji smiled. "Now THAT'S a good idea!"

He did the same.

She called the dog over.

"Come here boy! Time to get a name!"

He ran to her and sat.

"A name? Then we play!?"

She nodded.

"HOORAY!" He exclaimed.

"What about... Rico?"

He shook his head.

"Okay... What about eggroll?"

Eiji laughed.

"What!?" She exclaimed. "I'm hungry, so my brain has the equivalent thinking power of a taco! Taco's sound good..."

"No!" Gagged the dog.

She sighed. "Then what about cake? Cake could be a good name...?"

He shook his head.

"Mmmm cake. No."

She looked down. "But I'm not good at coming up with..."

She saw his claw. It was blue, like the rest of his claws, but it was different.

That was her ten year old signature on his claw...

"Max...?" She whispered tearfully.

He jumped up, and changed into a Leviathan.

"I... Will NEVER WASH THIS CLAW!" He screamed.

She hugged him, tears spilling from her eyes.

"I missed you!" She wailed.

He wrapped an arm around her. "Mistress Hiro, it's an honor to meet you here..."

Eiji ran up to him too.

"You're alive!" He exclaimed, tears were also streaming down his face.

He wrapped the other arm around him.

"No... I'm not. But I'm here to help."

Hiro looked at him.

"So what next?" She asked.

He pointed to a stairwell going down.

"Go there... THERE INTO SHINY DEADLINESS! YAAAAY!"

He was talking about the torches. Apparently they were shiny.

He ooed and awed at each one on the way down.

"And THIS one's on FIRE! And THAT ONE! It is ALSO ON FIRE! FIIIIIRRREE!"

He ran down the stairs, and we chased after him.

"Max, wait up!" Eiji yelled.

We ran into the next one, and our feet were stuck.

They woke up.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31: Daydreams

Hiro was laying in her bed. She enjoyed her breakfast, but she felt tired and wanted to rest.

Her parents let her, considering the way she fell asleep. They figured it wasn't very restful.

That wasn't the reason Hiro was laid in her bed though.

She'd felt tired, but she was awake. She was laying around, just thinking... Or rather daydreaming. Visualizing what it would be like to be away from all of this.

She rested on a semi happy thought. It was more bittersweet, considering the circumstances. It drug her down further and further into a state of depression.

"Hiro, you need to move around, and do something."

Hiro angrily opened her eyes.

"I was dreaming... Why would you interrupt that?"

Her face became glum. "Just let me sleep..."

"You aren't sleeping, your running scenarios as a source of comfort. I did this too, so you can't hide any of this from me. It won't help anything, the lying around just makes this worse. This can last for months if you're not careful..."

She sighed. "But I don't want to move..."

"But you have to, and you should. You're wasting precious moments of your life laying and feeling sad, and trust me, life can go by faster than you think. No one is immortal."

She slowly sat up. "It... It would be a little easier if these stupid dreams just went away. Why us? Why me? I might die anyway! So what's the point!?"

Junichi phased next to her.

"Hiro, I'm sorry this is happening to you, but moving around does more good than you think. You might not feel as sad. Just give it a try, a solid try. If I'm wrong, I'll let you sleep."

She stood. "Okay... I'll try."

She walked downstairs, and ran into her parents.

"Just try making conversation." Said Junichi.

"It will help ease some tension."

"G-Good morning..." She said.

Her dad smiled. "Good afternoon."

Her mom shook her head. "Damn kid, you must have been tired! It's 1:30."

"Sorry about that..." She said.

Kuhn was concerned. "Hey, you were tired. No harm done... Are you okay?"

She clenched her teeth. How could he be asking that!?

"No, I'm not okay, but I'm trying."

She didn't mean for that to come out so harsh and cold.

"Sorry..." She said. "I'm going to walk around some."

She walked away.

Linn sighed. "I think I know what's going on."

Kuhn looked at her. "You do?"

She nodded. "Some of it anyway. Junichi used to get like this a lot. I'd find him laying in bed, not even sleeping, just... He said it was like thinking, but deeper. I remember I told him, 'Play with me, and you won't have time to think'. It seemed to help him some. He also explained to me that when he got like this, sometimes there wasn't a reason. He was just sad."

Kuhn looked down. "My mother used to get like that, but she'd never explain it to me. I think that's what killed her... There were also times when she'd be really happy and full of energy. One day she just stopped moving... And that was it... She just faded away, even before she disappeared."

Linn looked at him. "Then that's what this is. Junichi used to get the same way, exactly. I don't doubt that he made her get up, and walk."

Kuhn sighed. "Is there anything we can do?"

Linn smiled. "We could probably get her doing more things around the Warrior's. Sentences obviously won't work, so we could work her instead. Yeah! Then she could accomplish something, and she'd be too tired to get into trouble!"

Kuhn's eyes widened, he grabbed her shoulders.

"Linn, that's an excellent idea! Let's do it!"

He pulled her in, and kissed her passionately.

Linn grabbed his collar, and pulled him into a room.

...

Hiro walked around in the lobby, and up and down all of the halls. She didn't feel perfect, but she had more energy.

She ran into Eiji. He was carrying a load of boxes.

"Eiji what are you doing?"

He smiled. "I guess I'm being punished... Delivering each resident monthly supplies. I don't know, I think it's fun."

He walked past. "See you Hiro! We should do something... Oh yeah, we're grounded."

Hiro stared at him incredulously.

How could he think THAT was fun?

She walked a little further, and heard Haku and Chihiro.

"I don't know..." Said Haku. "He's doing a pretty good job."

Chihiro sighed. "But he's enjoying it! Haku... Punishment shouldn't be enjoyed, it should punish."

"I think he's just been trying to impress Hiro. Should we really punish him like this? Maybe we could just talk it out?"

"Well, I guess that's true too." Said Chihiro. "Hiro seems to be somewhat of a bad influence..."

Hiro walked away tearfully.

"Yeah, she can be..." Said Haku. "She's also protective in her own way, and she's not a bad person..."

Chihiro sighed. "Yeah, I know. Hiro's a good girl, and it was Eiji's choice to sneak out. He should be responsible for his actions."

"You're right." Said Haku. "I think it's time we realize he's not a small child anymore."

...

Hiro felt bad about all of this. Now Eiji's parents thought she was rotten too...

 _Maybe I am..._

 _Maybe I really am a bad influence on Eiji..._

 _I wonder if he's trying to mess up, just so he CAN impress me?_

 _He doesn't want this, it sucks being in trouble all the time!_

 _I can't do that to him..._

"Hey Hiro! Um... I was wondering, what kind of-?"

"Eiji... I can't." She said.

He stopped. "Wait, what are you saying...?"

She looked away. "I can't be with you. I'm sorry."

His eyes widened. "Hiro!? If I did something, just tell me! Hiro...?"

She walked away, and concealed her tears.

...

Eiji stood there, frozen. Just confused and motionless.

 _Why would she say that?_

 _What did I do...?_

 _All I wanted was to be with her, I even wanted to get her..._

 _Dammit! DAMMIT! WHAT DID I DO!?_

 _What's been up with her lately?_

 _She seems so closed off, and unapproachable..._

 _What did I do wrong...?_

...

Hiro walked back up to her room.

She punched the wall, and left a hole.

"Dammit! I'm such an IDIOT!"

She looked at the wall...

"Uh oh... Shit, what do I do!? They're going to see it!"

Junichi sighed. "I'm staying out of this one..."

"I need to hot something." She said.

She grabbed her club, and walked over to her parents.

"Can I go outside for a minute?" She asked.

"I'll be fast."

They looked at each other, and nodded.

"Just be back soon, it starting to get dark." Said Linn.

She nodded, and walked outside. She ran to one of the old pens. The Leviathan's saw her.

"A MISTRESS!? YOU'RE HERE!"

"She's HERE!" They screamed.

She swung at the pen, blowing parts of it to splinters.

"DAMMIT! GOD DAMMIT!" She screamed.

"The Mistress is angry..." Said Fred.

"No, I think she's sad..." Said Talin.

Tears spilled out of her eyes.

"What is WRONG WITH ME!? WHY am I just such a FAILURE!? A SCREW UP!?"

"I can't do ANYTHING RIGHT!"

She continued to smash the rubble on the ground.

"Eiji's parents hate me! Eiji probably hates me! My parents don't trust me! And EVERYTHING'S FALLING APART!"

She fell to her knees, and cried.

Someone touched her shoulder.

Hiro looked up, and saw the woman Eiji was sitting with that one day.

She knelt down. "He doesn't hate you. That kid doesn't have a hateful bone in his body. Are you two having problems?"

Hiro sniffed. "I'm the problem. I always get him into trouble, and I didn't want him to try to mess up just to impress me..."

She laughed softly. "No, actually it's quite the opposite!"

Hiro stared at her. "What!? What do you mean...?"

"Eiji isn't trying to get himself in trouble, he's trying to get you out of trouble..."

She smiled. "You're all he talks about! He's been pretty worried about you..."

Hiro looked down. "I'm such an idiot..."

"Don't say that." She said. "It will only make things worse. You know, I was your age once. The difference is, my parents weren't good people, and all of the guys I hung around weren't amazing either."

She smiled sadly. "I was so frustrated, and angry all of the time... I ran away at 14, and had Navin at 15. The man I was living with was horrible, and I tried to run from him one day. He found us at the Warrior's Respite, where we were staying. Eiji saw what he was doing, and got rid of him. That young boy, is the one who freed me from that life..."

She looked at Hiro. "Don't go down that path. You have a family that loves you, and you have Eiji. Don't give that up for what I did... I know it's hard growing up, but with a family like that? You'll turn out just fine, I know it."

Nobody had ever told Hiro that she would turn out fine, then again, she'd never really given them the chance.

She hugged the woman, and cried.

"I just... I don't know what they want from me!? I feel like whenever I try to something right, I just mess it all up anyway!"

She sighed. "You probably don't mess up as much as you think. Nobody hates you, they just have a hard time understanding where you are right now. You'll be okay, I'm sure of it..."

Hiro felt a familiar tiredness wash over her.

"T...Take me back to the... Warrior's... I'm..."

She fell asleep.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32: Sleep Shifting

The woman saw Hiro pass out, she stopped.

She shook Hiro. "H-Honey, are you okay?"

She didn't wake.

"You must return Mistress Hiro to the building at once." Said a Leviathan.

She jumped. "Oh yeah, I forgot about you!"

"She's having a trial dream, return her at once." He said again.

The woman looked confused. "A trial dream?"

...

Hiro and Eiji were in the dream again, their feet stuck to the floor.

"Hiro..." He said. "If I did something wrong, you should tell me."

She stared at him. "I-Is that what you thought? No, Eiji... I just didn't want to keep getting you in trouble."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about that! Hiro, I-"

They heard a roar in the distance.

Hiro looked around, then she realized her armor was gone, and so was Eiji's.

"Eiji! Where did our ARMOR GO!?"

His eyes widened. "Y-You're right! It's GONE!"

"I'm afraid all of that disappeared when the dream ended, Mistress Hiro..."

She looked over, and saw max.

He was injured, and looked weary.

"You might want to be quiet..." He said.

"It hasn't eaten yet, and it likes it's prey to squirm..."

It entered, and they froze.

"Don't move..." Max whispered.

Hiro was shaking...

That was the BIGGEST spider she had EVER seen.

The spider stood still for a moment, then edged slowly over to Hiro.

It had no eyes, but Hiro could feel it staring right through her.

She sobbed. "No..."

It went to swallow her...

Hiro closed her eyes tightly... Was it over?

She opened her eyes, and saw a dragon head... No, a Hydra. Eiji had turned into a twelve headed Hydra!?

The spider's pinchers were around the throat of the one head, it bit it off, and two more grew back.

"GO MASTER! KILL HIS FACE!" Max screamed.

"I DONT... Yeah, I don't wanna eat that... You can have him."

The spider lifted it's stinger, and prepared to stab Eiji with it. Hiro saw an impossible outcome...

...The world stopped.

 _There's no way he can dodge that. His feet are stuck, and so are mine._

 _The ground is made of sticky webs, but there are small holes in the webs. If I were small, I could get unstuck. But D_ _ad said your mind set matters when shifting. Eiji needed something big to protect me. I need something small to protect him. Something small that can fly, but it has to be powerful..._

 _Come on Hiro, Mom was right. Now is the time something small will come in handy._

 _How would I feel if I were small and powerful...?_

 _I'd feel, more than meets the eye... Yes!_

 _Mischievous, and small... But deceptively powerful!_

Hiro shifted into a Pixie, and melted the spider's stinger.

...

They all heard the crash from upstairs.

Haku and Chihiro came running down.

"He shifted, but he's asleep!" Haku exclaimed.

"I think they're having one of those dreams again!" Chihiro said frantically.

Kuhn nodded. "Yeah, I know. A woman just brought Hiro back from outside, she said she fell asleep."

"Pretty excellent shift though..." Said Haku.

"Yeah, a Twelve Headed Hydra." Said Chihiro. "We can't afford to fix the ceiling though..."

Hiro jolted. "Eiji, NO!"

She seemed to calm for a moment, and then she shrank...

"A pixie!?" Linn exclaimed.

Hiro flitted unconsciously around the room. Kuhn walked over to a sword on the wall, it was melted.

He heard a crash, and saw that several of the house plants had exploded.

"Die spider DIE!" She squealed.

They saw her fly through the air, and into a wall.

She had been hurt in the dream...

They ran to her.

"Oh no, what's happening in there!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

They heard a massive roar from upstairs, and more crashing.

Haku and Chihiro went to the stairwell.

"We'll help evacuate the upper floors." Said Haku.

"But first, we'll check on Eiji." Said Chihiro.

They ran up the stairs, and we saw some residents running down.

"What's going on!?" One asked.

"A bit of an emergency." Said Linn.

"We'll make sure nothing happens to our residents." Said Kuhn.

"Like we always do."

The man saluted him. "If there's anything I can do? You let me know."

Linn nodded. "Then help evacuate the upper floors." She said.

He gave a sharp nod, and ran upstairs.

Kuhn shook his head. "We really do have the best residents..."

"No! EIJI!" Hiro screamed.

They looked over at her, and she shifted again.

She was a cat sized scorpion.

"That's a Death stalker too!" Kuhn exclaimed.

"Look at the size of that though!?" Linn yelled.

She jumped up on the table.

"I DON'T DO BUGS!" Linn yelled.

She screamed and back behind Kuhn as the Death stalker scorpion launched into the air, and clung to the chandelier, rapidly stinging it.

She shifted back to normal, and did a tuck and roll, landing safely.

"How do you LIKE ME NOW!?" She screamed.

She fell on her side, and clutched it.

They ran to her.

"She's bleeding!" Linn exclaimed. "Look at her left side, it's been punctured by something."

Shisuta ran down.

"What in BLAZES is it NOW!?" She exclaimed.

"Do you have a serum!?" Kuhn asked frantically.

She nodded. "Yes, but I'm running out of supplies for them. Let me see her..."

Karo walked up. "Wait, save those. Maybe I can help..."

He walked up to Hiro, and knelt down.

He tried his magic... Nothing.

"What!? Why can't I heal her!?" He exclaimed.

Shisuta ran up, and injected the serum.

Nothing.

She froze.

"What!? No! That should have worked!"

...

I was trying my hardest, but Eiji wasn't healing.

"Why is nothing working!?" I exclaimed.

Eiji was gasping in air. Some kind of poison was spreading, and he was clutching his stomach, which was bleeding.

"Hiro... I'm, I'm sorry..." He gasped.

"I couldn't... I couldn't let it... Hurt you."

I had tried two serum's, my best healing abilities, and Haku included in that.

Nothing was working.

...

Hiro sobbed. "Eiji... But, but... DON'T BE STUPID! You can't DIE! What will everyone think when you're gone!? Eiji! I can't lose you..."

She continued to sob, clutching her side painfully. She didn't seem like she was dying, but she was very injured.

...

Eiji coughed, and spoke again.

"Hiro... Don't worry about me... We did it... WE, did it."

His breathing slowed.

Chihiro clutched onto him. "No! NO! EIJI! NOO! Try again! Please... PLEASE!"

She sobbed into him.

...

Hiro sat up.

"Eiji! EIJI NO!"

Shisuta's serum had worked now, and Hiro stood.

"Eiji!" She yelled.

She ran up the stairs.

...

Eiji's color had started to return. He gasped in, and coughed.

His parents wrapped him in a hug. Chihiro was still sobbing.

"Eiji! I'm so glad you're... My boy... My little boy..."

"I'm not very little anymore..." He said softly.

Chihiro shook her head.

"No, you'll always be to me..."

Haku pulled him in.

"You're very brave... Just, don't get yourself killed..."

His eyes were spilling with tears.

Hiro ran in.

Eiji ran up to her.

"Hiro!"

He wrapped her in a hug.

She cried. "Don't do that to me!" She exclaimed.

"You stupid idiot!"

He held her in a warm hug.

"It's okay... I'm alright..."

Everyone walked in, and sighed. Linn practically collapsed on the floor.

"Wow... Is this going to be every night!? Damn..."

Kuhn tapped Hiro on the shoulder, she looked at him.

"Dad... I know you said six feet, but-"

He pressed a small kiss to her forehead.

"I'll let it slide this time."

I was glad things had worked out alright...

I was also expecting some white hairs in my comb tomorrow...

And I thought Shisuta and Karo were a handful... Look at where I was wrong.


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33: Wraith Riding 2

Hiro was walking around outside, wait...

Was she supposed to be doing that? Eiji was in reading Algebra 2. A 'mild punishment' via Chihiro.

I walked up to her. She was shoveling snow, and raking leaves.

"Um... Well, it's looking great. My question is... Your parents did tell you to do this, right?"

She rolled her eyes. "No! Not at all! I rake piles of leaves out of 3 feet of snow, just for a pastime!"

Yep, this was a punishment.

"Well, keep up the work." I said.

I turned, and saw Eiji running toward me.

"What are you doing!?" I exclaimed.

"You're supposed to be inside! READING."

He nodded eagerly. "I know, I need the next one!" He exclaimed.

"I found all of it so fascinating, I need to know more!"

I stopped.

He was enjoying this!?

"Hmm... Uh.. Ask Shisuta."

He nodded. "I'll get right on that!"

He ran back inside.

Hiro smiled. "I remember reading text books! The math ones were awesome!"

I shrugged. "Well, it seems Eiji will either move on to pre-calculus or trigonometry."

Hiro gaped.

"No! He can't surpass me!"

I smiled. "Sorry, but you have ground work to finish."

She began to rake faster.

"There's no WAY! EIJI! I'M GONNA READ THEM FIRST!"

She grinned. "Wait... I know how I'll get him to give me the books..."

I shook my head. "Don't even think about it. Six feet."

She rolled her eyes, and continued raking.

Eiji ran back out. "Kahn! I can't find them!"

I heard marching in the distance.

I stepped in front of them.

"Hold on... Do you hear that?"

Hiro nodded. "I do, it's gotta be Shinjitsu."

Eiji stood next to Hiro. "What does he want!?"

He marched up.

"Just who we're looking for." He said, looking at Hiro.

Kahn stepped up. His armor appeared, and his crossbow was readied.

"I'd like to see you try!" He yelled.

Shinjitsu smiled darkly. "Awwww... Is poor Lord Champion still sore over Lilith?"

I turned the crossbow, firing and decimating half of the army.

I dashed through the smoke, holding a sharpened Kunai to Shinjitsu's throat.

"What of it!?" I barked.

Shinjitsu laughed maniacally.

"Well... It's a shame... I-"

Nope, no more fucking idiotic speeches!

I slit his throat.

"Just shut the hell up."

Shinjitsu melted, and reappeared on the ground in front of Hiro.

She launched him back with a kick.

"What are you!?" She exclaimed.

He cracked his neck, and smiled.

"So it has to be this way..."

He slammed his palm to the ground, and master summoning runes spread around him...

By god! Was he INSANE!? No one can control a summon that large!

I pushed Hiro and Eiji back.

"Run, this is a master summoning!" I yelled.

Shinjitsu laughed. "This is about as powerful as I am! Well... Almost."

I looked ahead, and saw an extremely massive wraith. It was ten times the size of any wraith I had ever faced.

Eiji laughed darkly, then maniacally.

"Who exactly do you TAKE ME FOR!?" He yelled.

Silver threads shot out of his hands, and took control of the wraith.

A dark smile crossed Eiji's lips.

"Now then... Let's see how powerful you really are."

Surprisingly? Shinjitsu was able to hold his own.

"Impressive!" He exclaimed. "But can you keep it going!?"

I looked back at Eiji, and saw a bead of sweat drip down his face.

No, not for much longer he couldn't.

The others ran out.

"Look at THAT!" Shisuta exclaimed.

"Is that real!? Please say yes, I want to harvest it's organs..."

I sighed. "No, it's a summon... Sorry Shisuta."

NOOOOO! WHAT A WASTE!" She yelled.

She dropped to her knees and did that thing she does when her Alchemical dreams are crushed.

Karo put a hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, I'll make you some Crispy Noodles to cheer you up. Right now? THERE'S A GIANT WRAITH HERE! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!"

Eiji's threads began to slip.

"Need some help?" Kuhn asked.

"Hey, me too!" Linn exclaimed.

Kuhn turned to her. "You said you wanted to see me ride wraith, well now's your chance!"

Hiro scoffed. "No way! That's impossible!"

He grinned. "Well, we'll see about that!"

Eiji's threads slipped.

I fired my crossbow at it's center, launching it skyward. Kuhn and I grabbed on, climbing on it's back. A frog jumped across it's back.

No...

It shifted into Hiro.

"Yes! THIS IS AWESOME!" She screamed.

"HIRO!? What are you DOING HERE!? GET DOWN, NOW!"

She laughed. "Punish me later! I'm in for the ride! WOOHOO!"

Kuhn clenched his fists. "I'm going to kill her..."

Something was off... The wraith.

It was FLYING!

"We've got trouble!" I exclaimed. "The wraith can FLY!"

"WHAT!?" Kuhn yelled.

He tried slamming it down with his foot. It brought the beast halfway down, and then it tried to shake us off.

Kuhn looked back at Hiro. "Just HOLD ON!" He yelled.

"YOU GOT IT!" She screamed.

The wraith shot up in the air, sending us all screaming.

"THIS HAS TO END NOW!" I yelled.

I grabbed one of my spears arrows, and jumped above the wraith. I slammed the arrow into it piercing it's back, and launching it to the ground.

The wraith was about to slam into the ground. For a split second, I saw Shinjitsu's face.

He was gaping, and backing up.

I gave him a smirk that said, "That could be you."

The wraith disintegrated into the ground, letting dust and chunks of ground fly everywhere.

Shinjitsu was gone as soon as it dissipated.

"That... Was AWESOME!" Hiro exclaimed. "Let's do it again!"

"You are in SO MUCH TROUBLE!" Kuhn yelled.

Hiro flinched. "Ooooh... No. Daaammmiit..."

Linn grabbed her by her ear, and dragged her back inside.

I shook my head.

 _Why is she always pulling stuff like this? And then she's surprised when they get angry..._

I wondered though... She may have been safer on the wraith.

Shinjitsu was after her specifically. Why? I had no clue... I had a hunch, that it may have something to do with the dreams. He wanted her alive, because he didn't immediately try to kill her.

He has some strong protective magic on him... I wonder what spell that was?

I had to figure it out soon, because knowing him?

He'd be back.


	34. Chapter 34

****Hello readers, I would like to apologize for some of the spelling, and general word mistakes I've noticed while reading through. I will try to fix as much as I can, and I hope these things don't stop you from reading any further. I will try to improve it from now on, so I don't lose future readers.**

 **For those of you who have made it this far, thank you so much for your patience!**

 **Your all awesome.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 34! :)****

Chapter 34: The Hidden Prodigy, Shisuta's Beast

Chihiro walked by Eiji as he was reading. She stopped, and looked at the piles of books he had finished. She saw that he was nose deep in a book on trigonometry.

"Hey Eiji? How are you liking those... Books?" She asked.

He smiled. "I love it!" He exclaimed.

"Honestly? I never thought it would be so interesting! Thanks Mom!"

He continued to read.

Chihiro walked out of the room. She leaned her head on Haku's chest.

"What am I going to do?" She asked.

Haku laughed. "Does he like the books too?"

Chihiro sighed. "Yes. He does... Haku, he's such a good kid! It's so hard to punish him, because he just... He just enjoys it!"

Haku sighed. "Then let's leave it at that. He is a good kid, and this will just put him on the right track..."

Chihiro smiled, and gave him a soft kiss.

"You're right, maybe I am worrying too much..."

...

Eiji was a good kid, but they should have kept in mind that he's also a teenage boy.

He had already finished trigonometry, and pre-calculus. He was in truth, reading something under the cover of the book... He was in the Altar room, reading away.

Shisuta walked in. Eiji hardly noticed her.

She looked over his shoulder.

"What are you reading?" She asked.

He quickly closed the book.

"N-Nothing!" He exclaimed.

Shisuta was suspicious of the lump in the center of Trigonometry.

She grabbed the book, and pulled out the other book from within.

She gaped. "The... The Karma Sutra!? EIJI! You are FAR too young!"

He turned red. "Please don't tell my parents! I finished the others, and I'm even moving on to calculus! But... Even I need a pastime... Ugghnnnn..."

Shisuta gave a warning look.

"Okay, from the papers filled with advanced calculations, I can see you're not lying..."

She sat next to him.

"I might have to tell your father, considering your age, and the circumstances..."

"Please don't!" He begged.

"I won't do it again!..." He looked to the side.

That WAS a lie

She sighed. "Yes you will, because you are a teenage boy."

He turned dark red.

"No...? I won't..."

She slapped her palm to her face.

"Eiji you are a terrible liar."

He sighed with defeat.

"Yeah, I know that. But... Can I at least keep the book...?"

"No! You can NOT!" She exclaimed.

She blushed slightly. "Besides... It is mine."

Eiji thought about Shisuta and Karo in the book. His eyes went wide, and he turned multiple shades of red and green.

 _Aaahhh! NO! Stupid VISUALIZATION SKILLS!_

He turned pale. "Y-You can keep it then... Excuse me, while I... Inject bleach into my brain..."

She laughed. "Maybe I do not have to tell his parents."

She looked down, and saw his equations. Half of them were equations, half of them were...

What were those...?

They were multicolored lines and shades of different thicknesses. They streamed across the paper in a flowing pattern. Some pages had lines that looked more ridged than others.

They were marked, 'Clashes'.

The ones that seemed to flow seamlessly in and out of each other were marked, 'Harmonies'.

There was a black sheet with the colors going across it in longer strides.

On the sheet was a note.

"My mother had described northern lights... I have never seen them, so I waited until it was dark, and played a soft chord... I think I had the right idea."

Shisuta gaped. "The colors are chords? Northern lights... Is this what he sees?"

...

Eiji tiptoed his way up the stairs. He looked around to make sure no one was watching... He then activated an old elevator hidden behind some shelves, and walked inside. He pulled the lever to the side, and it went up.

This was Eiji's secret space. He had discovered it, and the elevator soon after he had returned from thpitit.

The attic space was dimly lit, and there was a single grand piano there.

He sat on the bench provided, and smiled as he lifted the covering.

"Maybe one day I'll play this for her, but... It needs work."

...

Shisuta had followed him up the elevator. She had assimilated herself, and was able to walk and watch freely.

She was curious of how these beautiful colors sounded as sounds.

What he played started out soft and peaceful...

Then it shifted. The tone became darker, and the chords more skillfully played.

It rose in intensity, and you could barely see his fingers move across the keys.

His face seemed to smile for a moment, then fall.

A bittersweet melody filled the room, filling Eiji's eyes with tears. It was almost a nostalgic feel, and Shisuta felt herself tearing up.

This was wonderful...

Why had he not shared this talent?

 _I should just ask right now. Listening to this, it seems very personal. I almost feel bad for sneaking around him like this, when he thinks he's alone..._

 _Curiosity has always been a strong trait of mine, as well as a weak point._

 _Oh well, I hope this doesn't upset him too much..._

She dropped the assimilation, and Eiji immediately saw her.

He jumped. "Sh-Shisuta!?..."

His look became harder. "Why would you sneak up on me? This is MY sanctuary."

She looked down. "I was just curious... Can you really see sound? The piano was amazing! And-"

"Don't." He said. "I don't want everyone to find out about this... Everyone would harp on me, and nag me to learn how to read notes, and show me off like some trophy. This is my only escape right now, don't take it from me, because you're curious."

That made some sense...

Shisuta nodded. "Alright then... But, I like listening to it. Would you mind if I come up here every so often, just to listen?"

He nodded. "I guess that's fine."

"Why don't you want others to know?" She asked. "Besides the nagging and what not, that could be solved. Is there any other reason?"

He looked down. "It... It's hard to explain. There are a lot of reasons, actually. For one, crowds make me extremely uncomfortable. This was one of the many drawbacks of the pit, where the Leviathan's lived. I often spent time with Hiro, and a few select Leviathan's. I never really liked to jump into their party's..."

"Everyone has stage fright to a certain extent." Shisuta commented.

"It's more than that!" He exclaimed.

"It's like I... Like I shut down! It's what's going on in the crowds that bother me the most. The constant sound, banging in my head. Everyone's so close to me, and it's like I'm suffocating! Everyone talking and yelling, and bantering! The noises mixing up in the air!"

He held his head in his hands.

"Just thinking about it! It's too much!"

He began breathing slowly, but it seemed forced.

"I come up here sometimes, just to freak out. I... I can't help it. Sometimes it's just too much... No one would understand why I was shaking or... Just freaking out if I did it in front of them! Somehow everyone else is fine with all of that, but I'm not. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I don't want anyone else knowing either..."

He sobbed. "Ever since I fell, and became mortal... Everything has changed. This world is so loud, and... Bright. Just... So much..."

Shisuta didn't really like doing this, but this situation sounded familiar.

She dredged up some of the deeper knowledge of the brain, and analyzed it...

What could this be?

Was it psychological, or physical?

Both?

It seemed to be a multitude of things.

Cognitively, he was highly capable, and had as much potential as he set.

The world around him was intense, and he seemed to be able to soak it up... Too much in fact.

Not only did ordinary senses affect him to the extreme, there was more than that.

His ability to see sound was an amazing optical feat, but added to the sensory problems that were already present. Something she did not know before, was that he was also an empath. Not only would all of the physical sensory issues be at play, all of the emotions in the room were flowing through him.

The space he was in now made more and more sense as she delved deeper into these things.

She opened her eyes.

"How this has not driven you insane yet is beyond me..." She said.

He sniffed. "Maybe I am... Who knows."

She shrugged. "Well, no one's normal. Not completely... In fact, to a degree we all have our insanities."

She smiled sadly. "I mean, my brain is a living dictionary. I tend to go on tangents, and I can be quite irrational at times... As far as I'm concerned, you're a normal, overdramatic, troublesome teenage boy."

He sighed. "I'm not that troublesome..."

She grinned. "Oh really? Are you sure, little Karma Sutra? You may want to re evaluate that statement."

He looked away. "Seriously, I'm sorry. I had NO idea that was yours!"

She shook her head. "You really shouldn't educate yourself in such ways yet. You're so young... Enjoy being young. You don't need that yet..."

He blushed softly.

 _Well, I mean... That could be part of enjoying it..._

 _Maybe she's right. I mean, I'm trying to stay out of trouble..._

 _Maybe instead of thinking about making things right, I should just do it._

 _I hate how much I'm sneaking things lately, and I know if my parents knew, they'd watch me twenty four seven. The only difference between Hiro and I lately, is that I'm better at not getting caught._

 _Sometimes I wonder if she's more honest than I am?_

"Okay, I understand." He said.

He just felt so rotten lately, like he was really messing up. He didn't feel like he could tell anyone what was running through his head, so he kept it in...

Now it was time that the balloon full of this burden was let to burst.

There was no stopping it.

"I... I know I should tell them, but I never tell them anything! They always tell me how proud they are, but if they knew how much I'd been lying, they'd be ashamed... Part of me wants to listen to them, and be that person. I really do enjoy all of this! But then I remember how much they don't understand. I find myself thinking, who are they to make me out as someone I'm not! Then I remind myself it's my fault, because I never tell them anything... Where would I even start! I don't know..."

She put a hand on his shoulder.

"Eiji, you are by no means shame worthy. I think you really are looking too much into this! You should just start being trustworthy, instead of beating yourself for past mistakes."

Eiji laughed nervously.

"Well that's a relief! He he... Umm... You wouldn't be mad if I had jacked some of your alchemy supplies to make explosives would you?"

Her eye twitched. "What did you do.

"Uuhm... Well, you see... I wanted to see what would happen if I ignited solid Oxygen with... Um molten lava... Yeah..."

Shisuta stopped.

"Did you try it? And at what solidity is the oxygen?"

Eiji walked over to a wall, and moved a panel. It revealed a closet with a pressurized chamber. It seemed to have been recently finished.

"The more advanced math and physics really helped with this... It's metallic oxygen, but there's also red and black."

He removed another panel, and she saw an oven made with her... The rocks she had collected that seemed to have an impossibly high melting point. There was a thermos made out of the same material, most likely used to contain the molten rock, and insulate it.

She noticed something about all of his contraptions. None of them had temperature or safety dials.

"Eiji, how were able to pressurize the oxygen, and melt rock at such accurate levels? There are no dials, or numbers..."

Eiji shrugged. "I don't know, I guess extreme temperatures give off certain sounds? I can't hear them, but I can usually see when I've got the right one."

She looked at the vials of metallic oxygen, and the molten rock samples.

She grinned.

"I'll take you off the grounds, and we will call it a field trip. On one condition..."

Eiji eyed her warily. "What condition...?"

She laughed gleefully.

"We will blow up a quarter pound of it!"

He gaped. "Are you insane!? A quarter size is enough!"

She giggled maniacally.

"No, it's never enough! We NEED more explosions!"

She was kind of insane... But Eiji was curious...

He calculated the distance at a quarter pound. They would need a LOT of space! Eiji could use his threads to administer the lava from far distances...

"Alright, let's do it." He agreed.

Eiji took a quarter pound sample of metallic oxygen, and a quarter of that in molten liquid. Shisuta's assimilation abilities did wonders for getting past the others.

They went to a large open space, and Eiji reached his threads, setting the sealed metallic oxygen far away. He held the molten rock over the oxygen...

He hesitated.

"This is a bad idea, we should stop! I've never attempted this, and it could really hurt someone..."

She stopped.

"Perhaps you are right... This could have disastrous-"

Eiji's threads slipped. He pulled them back as the molten container opened, it's contents heating up the metallic oxygen.

"Oh NO!" He exclaimed.

The vial blew, and a colossal explosion almost blew them away. Were it not for Eiji's threads pulling them away, they would've been vaporized.

"Not again!" He gasped.

He stood, and his knees were wobbly.

"THIS was a bad idea!" He exclaimed.

"Aren't you supposed to be trying to get me NOT to mess up!?"

He threw up his hands.

"I knew it. I shouldn't have told you!"

He clenched his fists.

"Metallic oxygen can also be used to conduct electricity, other liquid forms are medically useful. You just had to blow it up though!"

Shisuta felt unexplainably horrible.

She had endangered both her life and Eiji's, and he was right. This had been a bad idea. She had to make it up to him, but she didn't know how... She got so wrapped up in the scientific fascination of things, sometimes ethics completely escaped her.

The others ran up.

"Is everyone okay!?" Linn exclaimed.

Haku and Chihiro ran up to Eiji.

"That was a big explosion!" Chihiro exclaimed.

"Eiji, you should know better than to play with such fire power." Haku scolded.

"You scared the hell out of us!" Kuhn exclaimed.

Eiji stuttered. "I.. I didn't mean to-"

"You did, or you wouldn't have done it." Haku continued.

"Someone could have gotten seriously hurt."

"What were you thinking!?" Chihiro exclaimed.

"How could you be so-!?"

"STOP!" Shisuta cried.

"It was my fault, not Eiji's! He was the one who had advised against it, and we were going to stop. The issue was, that there was an accident, and it combusted anyway... I was intent on using Eiji's scientific prowess to cause an explosion. It was wrong, and you should be yelling at me! Eiji is twice the genius I will ever be."

Karo stared at her. That's not something she'd just readily admit. He knew that at times her mind was prey to fits of insanity and split persona's... It was getting worse, the knowledge was finally eating holes in her mind.

...

I looked at Shisuta, and she looked just about ready to burst. Something was very wrong.

Haku looked about ready to explode. He took a step forward, and I held out my arm.

"Hold on..." I said.

I walked up to her, and snapped my fingers in front of her face.

No response, just more shaking. She grabbed her hair, and began to pull.

"There's something you should all know about Shisuta." I said.

"She has been cursed by a deal she made with a demon called Sasageru..."

Haku froze.

"S-Sasageru...? But... But that's suicide!"

I nodded, and my expression grew grave.

"Yes, it was at a darker point in her adolescence... She gave the Karmic price, and made three deals with the demon, one of which, was access to amazing knowledge. It seems to be eating away at her sanity as we speak. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the illness and curse, I can never heal her."

Karo stood there frozen.

We both knew this day was coming, and I knew he would take it hard...

He breathed slowly, but tears were streaming down his face.

He walked up to her, and knelt down. He held her face in his hands...

He gave her a soft kiss. She didn't notice, she was too far gone.

He leaned his head on hers, and sobbed.

"Sh-Shisuta... Not now... Please...? Just one more day love... One more day!"

I felt tears spilling out of my own eyes. I had wronged Shisuta in the trial of tongue's, and I had never made things right...

...She was my little sister, blood, or no.

I had to do everything I could to save her... Everything.

"I can try to break the curse, but it's risky. Her brain would have to temporarily shut down. I don't know if the act of this alone will cause an immediate death, or not..."

Eiji looked down. His eyes were teary.

He looked at me. "That won't be necessary. If you simply want to stop brain function enough to preserve her, then a state of hibernation or comatose would work better. I could arrange that, the curse breaking would be up to you."

I can't believe I hadn't thought of that before...

"I can help on that end of things." Said Chihiro.

"Curses and charms are my specialty after all."

I nodded, and we carried her back to the Warrior's Respite. Things were looking bleak, and all I could do was my best...

...Praying to gods that most likely despised me.


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35: A Long Time for Loneliness

Eiji's formula had worked well, and Shisuta was falling deeper in a state of comatose...

Kahn was working with Chihiro on finding a loophole in the demonic curse. Hiro was sitting in her room with Eiji.

"Hey... Umm..." Her face was red.

"Eiji? I'm not... I mean... You just seem so... Never mind."

He looked at her. "What is it?" He asked.

"Don't cut yourself off like that. I won't get mad at you for asking me something..."

She sighed. "Why do you even like me Eiji... You just seem so out of my league, you know...?"

He pulled her in, and kissed her.

"No, I don't know. I do know that you're scaring me... I have this feeling you're not saying something, and... I don't know."

He kissed her again.

"Don't just leave me like that. Especially to protect me. If you want to leave, do it because you want to, not because you feel like you have to... Unless... Unless you want to."

His eyes became teary. He shoved them back.

"Well, anyway... It's your choice."

He may have tried to hide his pain, but Hiro noticed it.

She was worried that he felt obligated to stay with her. He was just so amazing, that there was no way he'd ever want to be with her... She was wrong.

She kissed him.

"No..." She said tearfully.

"I just thought... Maybe you were too above me."

He looked down. "I could say the same for you."

Hiro gaped. "M-Me!? But how!?"

He looked at her. "How can you not see it? You're amazing... You're strong, kind, smart, and beautiful... Just gorgeous."

He gave her a gentle kiss.

Her heart was fluttering inside of her chest.

She kissed him back, and pulled him closer, brushing her lips against his ear...

He took in a breath, and pressed her against him, trailing kisses down her neck...

 _I'm in her room... We're on her bed..._

 _Her hands running through my hair, down my back... It was driving me crazy..._

 _I really wanted to. I mean, I REALLY wanted to..._

 _No. It wasn't right._

"H-Hiro... Um... We shouldn't do this."

She stopped. Then sighed.

"You're right... I'm kind of nervous anyway."

He gave her a softer kiss.

"We can still do that if you want..."

She leaned in, and kissed him.

"Okay..." She whispered.

Hiro was okay with this. Just being with him like this made her really happy...

...She just hoped her dad didn't walk in.

They weren't going to do anything, but they were definitely breaking the six feet rule.

...

Karo was sitting beside Shisuta Kahn and Chihiro were getting more information on Sasageru, attempting to find a loophole via studying.

He stroked her hair, and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you..." He whispered tearfully.

He remembered the day that he told her he'd spend an eternity alone to be with her for the time they had... That time was running out, and Karo found himself drowning in sorrow. It wasn't enough, then again, would it ever be enough?

No. It would not.

 _Never enough of her smile, and that crazy obsession of Alchemy._

 _Never enough of her words and antics._

 _Never enough of her kiss at night, or the way she sleeps in the morning..._

 _Never EVER enough of her..._

 _I wish she could just stay... And I'd just hold her like I always do..._

 _I wonder if this is how the humans feel when their loved ones pass on?_

 _This uncertainty and unknown that seems so unique to this situation._

 _Watching her dying right in front of me. I have a new respect for Chihiro's world... Thew way they can move on from such things, with so many unknowns surrounding their every day lives._

 _What makes them so strong...?_

 _To risk an eternity of loneliness, to be with someone for a short time... And to come out of it saying, it was worth it. I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that..._

...

Hiro had fallen asleep. Her eyes were closed, and her expression was peaceful. It was late afternoon, and the sun was shining through her window, making everything feel warm.

Eiji sighed, and just soaked in her features...

She really was beautiful...

"Hey, little medium! Wake up, I have a job for you!"

Eiji jumped as he heard the voice.

She laughed. "So you can hear me? Well then you can help me too..."

Hiro sat up.

"Who are you!? I've never met you before."

"My name is Karin." She said pleasantly.

"I'm here to help."

Eiji didn't like her. Just the vibe he got from her voice sent shivers down his spine.

The worst part about spirits with Eiji, was that he couldn't see the sound, so he couldn't get a good location.

Just the sound of her voice was enough to set Eiji's guard up.

"Help with what?" He asked.

She laughed. "I can see you're wary of me, don't worry, I don't bite!"

"Answer the question." Said Hiro flatly.

"Well..." She said sweetly.

"There's this cave just northeast of here... Travel to the bottom of it, and you'll find the key to saving your friend Shisuta."

Eiji laughed bitterly. "You are a special kind of stupid. That cave has traces of cyanide floating in the air, no one goes in there. Do you think I'd blindy waltz into a cave, on your word anyway? No, I didn't trust you much to begin with. Now I know I don't trust at all."

Hiro shook her head. "Just go away. You're not fooling anyone!"

She laughed darkly. "Fine have it your way... And tell Karo that Karin says hi."

She went away.

"What was THAT all about?" Asked Hiro.

Eiji shook his head. "I don't know... But I think we should tell Karo about her. She seemed to know him well enough."

She stood. "Then let's go. I have a really bad feeling about her."

They walked over to where Karo was. He was still with Shisuta.

"Um Karo?" Hiro asked.

"Yeah...?" He said.

"Did you used to know someone named Karin?"

He stopped.

"Karin!? How to you know about her!? She's been dead for awhile, and I say good riddance..."

Eiji frowned. "Yeah she's bad news. Her spirit tried to lead us into a cave filled with cyanide, claiming we could help Shisuta."

Karo clenched his fists. "That wench... She'd never help Shisuta. She hated us both..."

Hiro nodded. "That makes sense, but why kill us?"

Karo sighed. "I have no clue... She can be pretty spiteful in general. No doubt she's up top, enjoying the glories she doesn't deserve."

He looked at Shisuta.

"I'd sacrifice that horrible woman's soul to save Shisuta in a heartbeat."

Eiji could understand that much. He had wondered again and again what he had done to have received such treatment from somewhere that was once his home.

Somewhere that was supposed to be a realm of justice, plagued with tyranny.

Eiji stopped.

"Wait... The dreams. I think that might play into why she wants us dead, why Shinjitsu wants is alive, and why the heavens tried to erase me..."

Hiro looked at him. "Well what do you think it is!?" She exclaimed.

Eiji sighed. "It's a hunch, but it's one worth checking. I think we're having dreams about the nine trials, and defeating them. The dreamstone... I think that's how you obtain it. Not by sieging the main fortress, but sieging these dreams... If that makes any sense."

Karo nodded. "Actually it makes perfect sense. We should scope the nine trials again, and see which ones are still active. If more have shut down? Then you're probably right."

They nodded. "Right."

It was about time they'd gotten some clarity on the dreams... Time to start taking this ordeal more seriously.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36: The Sleepless Dream

We had been collecting a large amount of information lately.

Things on Shisuta, Things about Sasageru, Eiji and Hiro's collective dream notes, and the trials that corresponded with them. Needless to say, I had not gotten any rest. I yawned as I sat down, looking at the records. I needed a stimulant to keep me awake... I picked up the blue liquid syringe, leaving the green one on the desk.

One of these were for Hiro, Eiji had gotten his this morning.

It was to be used to protect them while sleeping, something Chihiro had concocted.

Blue... Was that the one? I think that was it...?

I injected some of the blue one, and pocketed it...

...

Hiro walked into Kahn's office. She was definitely ready to have some extra protection in dreams... The last three trials had been nothing short of a living hell...

 _We had to attack assassin's hiding in shadows, but we couldn't hear a thing. Max was a big help there._

 _We wandered in a trial for at least 24 hours with short term memory loss. Max there? Not so much._

 _The last one was even worse, because I was sitting in a pool of blood, everyone's heads were floating in it... Max was screaming, "It's alive! The dumpling has teeth!" And the only reason we made it out was because Eiji had heard me scream, and faced his fear so he could help me face mine._

 _Poor max though... When we're not in the trials, he still is._

 _That carnivorous dumpling must have been chasing him for hours and hours. He really was a champ to help us like this._

Hiro walked over to the desk and looked at the syringe.

"They said it was a blue liquid... But, um... That looks green."

Kahn was asleep on his desk.

"He must be exhausted... Oh well, maybe it's more... Turquoise?"

She took the green or 'turquoise' liquid, and injected all of it as instructed.

She walked out of the room, then her eyes popped open.

"Wh-wh-WHAT THE HELL!" She screamed.

Chihiro, Linn, Kuhn, and Eiji heard her. They ran up to her.

Her heart was pounding in her chest.

"Hiro! You look REALLY freaked out! What's the matter!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"Wh-What the F-F-FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!? Are Y-You TRYING TO K-KILL ME!? WHAT IS THAT ST-STUFF!?"

Linn looked at Chihiro. She shrugged.

"Eiji took some this morning... He's fine."

Linn looked at Hiro.

Her eyes widened. "Oh shit! She took a stimulant!"

Kuhn grabbed her shoulders, and looked at her. She was shaking, and her eyes were bulging. He could almost feel her heart beat pounding where his hands were.

"How much did you take!?" He asked frantically.

She shivered. "Th-th... Th-The WHOLE THING!"

"She might be fine..." Said Linn.

"This happened to you once."

He sighed with frustration.

"Yeah, but I'm bigger than Hiro, and that was a lot for me!"

Hiro shivered. This was scaring her...

"G-Guys? I j-j... I... DAMMIT!"

she clenched her fists.

Eiji held her hands.

"Listen to me, nothing bad is going to happen alright?"

She nodded shakily. Eiji was comforting.

"Your scaring her." He said. "I don't know if that's a good idea..."

Linn sighed. "Yeah... I think he's got a point. Let's try to stay calm."

Kuhn nodded. "Alright then."

Eiji looked at her, and her eyes focused. She was still shaking, but she was more calm.

"Th-Thanks." She said.

He sighed. "It was no trouble... Just, try not to psyche yourself out too much okay?"

She nodded.

Kuhn walked into Kahn's office. He was sleeping.

Kuhn had no doubt who the stimulant was intended for.

He shook Kahn awake, and grabbed his collar.

"Kahn, I am REALLY PISSED AT YOU RIGHT NOW!"

He blinked. "What's this about."

...

Kuhn didn't release me.

"Guess who took your stimulant?" He asked.

I froze... No! It WAS the green one!

"How much did she take!?" I exclaimed.

"All of it!" He yelled.

"Because YOU left it OUT!"

I had been sleep deprived, and just now woke up to Kuhn holding me up by my collar. I had been awake for four days, solid.

Every second of it was frustrating, and it was almost maddening how thin my composure was.

I shoved his hand off.

"Why don't we switch places for FOUR GOD DAMN DAYS! I have been doing everything I can... And so far? I have kept my patience well... I have not slept for four days straight! Everything we try with Shisuta, is a MISERABLE FAILURE! What can I do Kuhn? Instead of trying to man handle me, TELL ME WHAT TO DO!"

I had never snapped that badly at Kuhn. I immediately regretted it.

He sighed. "I'm sorry... We're all frustrated, and I don't know WHAT to do... That stimulant should have killed me, I'm just worried sick about her..."

I pulled out the blue liquid I had used.

"There's still some left. You should give it to her before a dream starts.

Kuhn looked down. "Will she even sleep?"

I sighed. "Yes, they are forced into dreams. There is no choice. I have discovered that somehow Hiro and Eiji have linked with the minds of the priestesses. This is how they are able to take down the trials, by killing the priestess in her own mind. This magic is far more powerful than a stimulant. Even that one."

Kuhn nodded. "Then at least she'll sleep."

...

The sun was setting in the sky, and Eiji was with Hiro. She had taken the blue protective potion now, but the stimulant was still running strong.

Eiji was holding Hiro close in an attempt to comfort her. She leaned into him, but was still shaking.

She sobbed. "I just f-feel exhausted! B-B-But I J-Just stay awake!"

He stroked her hand. "I'm sorry Hiro... I'm sure you'll get to sleep soon. We'll get pulled into a dream..."

She held on to him. "Eiji I'm s-so scared... Th-These dreams are a l-l-living hell!"

He wrapped her into a hug, and held her.

"I know..." He said tearfully. "I won't let anymore hurt you though... I promise."

The sky grew dark, and they looked at the stars through the dining hall window.

Even Hiro was slightly calmed by this.

Then they fell into a dream... But their eyes stayed opened. Both Eiji's and Hiro's.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37: Trial of Waking

Hiro and Eiji were plunged into another dream.

There was a strange feel to this one though, and Eiji caught onto it very fast.

"Ugh... We're asleep, but I feel awake... I'm still tired."

Hiro shivered. "Y-Yeah t-t-tell me about it!"

Eiji looked at her. "The stimulant shouldn't be in full effect right now! Especially considering we're dreaming..."

Hiro looked around. "W-W-Well let's not get st-stuck here too long then."

...

Kuhn and Linn walked up to Eiji and Hiro. It was dark, and they needed to take shifts soon watching Hiro.

They seemed to be awake.

"Hey Hiro? Hun, it's getting late. You should... Hiro?"

Kuhn walked over to her. Her eyes were opened, but she was entranced. He looked at Eiji... Same thing.

Linn walked over.

"They look awake."

She snapped her fingers in front of their faces.

"But they're definitely dreaming... What trial was that?"

Kuhn thought for a moment.

"Oh no! The trail of waking... It most likely means they'll be sleep deprived."

Linn sighed. "Great, as if Hiro isn't going to be sleep deprived enough..."

Kuhn looked down. "Yeah, and the bad thing is, these dreams stop any potion or substance from entering or leaving the system. Chihiro's potion? Brilliant. The stimulant? ...Poor Hiro, she's going to be miserable."

...

They were wandering around for a couple of hours. Eiji let out a yawn.

"I'm tired. But, not sleeping..." He said.

Hiro nodded shakily. "D-Definitely tired, and d-d-definitely n-not sleeping!"

"What are we looking for anyway?" He asked.

"B-Beats me." She replied.

They scoured the halls and all of the rooms. Nothing was around, and all the rooms were empty. It had been two more hours.

"This place is like a useless maze!" Eiji exclaimed.

"W-We have to k-keep moving." Said Hiro.

Eiji pointed to one of the rooms.

"Maybe we could at least TRY to get some sleep!?" He yelled.

"Earth t-to EIJI! W-WE'RE IN A D-DREAM!"

...

Kuhn and Haku jumped when they heard them talking. It woke up Linn and Chihiro too.

"Well? Earth to HIRO! We CAN'T function without SLEEP! THERE ARE BED'S IN THERE!"

"YOU DUMBASS!" She screamed.

"They p-probably put th-them there on PURPOSE! We n-n-need to move! And I c-cant sleep ANYWAY!"

"Well that's not MY FAULT!" He yelled.

Haku held the bridge of his nose.

"Oh no... They're getting frustrated because they're tired. This is going to be a long night."

Hiro burst into tears. "Its N-NO ONE'S FAULT! F-Fine! If you w-want to t-try useless sleeping!? B-Be my guest! I'm g-going over THERE!"

Linn groaned with annoyance.

"Oh my god! They're so over dramatic! Work together, and save teenagery drama for later."

Kuhn shook his head. "This IS going to be a long night."

...

Hiro wandered the halls again, and ran into Max.

"M-Max! There y-you ARE! I was w-worried."

He sat.

"I am sooo tired... Did you have to much coffee? Lucky..."

There were figures melting out of the walls.

Hiro jumped. "M-M-MAX WATCH OUT!"

She pushed him out of the way of some men with daggers. They would have nicked her side, but a blue shield popped up.

...

They all saw the blue flash.

"Something just happened!" Linn exclaimed.

Chihiro gave a sharp nod. "Yes, good thing the potions are working well."

Another blue shield popped up near her throat. She jolted to the side, and a thin line appeared on her neck. Her hand shot up and grabbed it.

"EIJI!"

...

Eiji heard her scream

"Oh no, I'm SUCH an asshole! HIRO!"

She was right, it didn't work.

He was running through the halls.

"Where are you!?" He exclaimed.

"Over H-HERE!" She yelled.

He found her. There were three assassin's striking at her. Eiji tried to shoot out his threads.

"Dammit! Still doesn't work!"

He tackled the assassin that was on Hiro. He took his dagger, and stabbed him in the throat.

The other assassin's went after him. Max tackled one and threw Hiro a dagger.

"Th-Thanks!" She exclaimed.

They both took down the one assassin.

He tried to stab Eiji in the ribs, but a blue shield blocked it...

...Sort of.

...

They saw a blue shield appear on Eiji's torso. A red spot formed on his shirt, and he grabbed his side.

Haku looked at Chihiro. "I know you didn't have time to make a full protective serum, but that's a very thin area. Looks like they got him between the ribs..."

Haku looked nervous. "These guys are really going for the kill."

He lifted Eiji's hand, and wrapped some guaze around the wound.

"At least that will keep it from bleeding..."

...

They ran into seven more in the course of two hours. Eiji's side had stopped bleeding, so he removed his hand.

"If it weren't for Mom's potion, we'd be dead..." He said. He sounded exhausted.

Hiro sighed. "Y-Yeah... It seems the h-harder we fight them, th-the tougher the next round is..."

You couldn't see it in her face, but Hiro was dead tired. It had been almost seven hours nonstop, and they'd been awake the whole day before this.

She coughed.

"Ugh... Wh-What the? Am I getting sick? B-But I've n-never been SICK!"

"I think the lack of sleep can do that." Said Eiji.

She sniffed. "Ughhnnn... Th-This sucks..."

...

It had been five more hours, and the sun was beginning to rise.

Hiro and Eiji had been moved to the upper office, and seated in some more comfortable chairs.

Hiro had been coughing, and it had gotten worse as time passed.

"She's definitely sick..." Said Linn.

Kuhn sighed, stroking her hair.

"Yeah... None of this can be good on her health."

She let out another cough.

"Ugghhnn... Go away! You stupid... *Cough* Fuckin' asshole's..."

She was finally exhausted enough that her stutter was completely gone.

...

Eiji was dead on his feet. "What are we doing here...?" He groaned.

"I don't know..." Said Hiro. "I'm so tired..."

They saw a woman wandering around. She looked weary and she was flinching a lot, but looked absolutely exhausted.

They walked up to her.

She pushed them against the wall.

"Be careful!" She exclaimed. "They have eyes..."

Her grip was weak, and her knees wobbled.

She saw the knives in their hands. She grabbed Hiro's and...

She tried to slit her own throat. Her grip was so soft, that she dropped the knife.

She fell to her knees and wailed.

"KILL ME!" She screamed. "I'm begging you!"

She grabbed Eiji's hands loosely.

"Please... Kill? Kill me? KILL ME!"

Eiji looked at her... The woman looked miserable. This place had been so hard on her, she looked aged.

He hugged her. "Come with us. We'll get you out of here..."

She sobbed. "Then kill me... And get out of here."

Eiji and Hiro stared at her. SHE was the priestess.

"Eiji, should we kill her?" Hiro asked.

Eiji shook his head. "Hold on..."

He looked at her. "This is your trial? Why are you stuck in it?"

She sobbed violently. "I haven't slept in FOUR MONTHS! PLEASE! Please.. I don't care anymore! I don't want to be a priestess... I just want to see my kids again..."

His eyes softened. "You have children? What are their names...?"

She looked at him. "A boy and a girl... Mali, and... And Sai."

Eiji teared up. "I'll break the curse, and you'll be able to hold your kids again... I promise."

He stabbed her. "I promise..." He sobbed.

She held his face. "Really...? You mean it?..."

She disappeared, and the dream ended.

Eiji was crying softly. Hiro hugged him, but she was crying too.

Everyone stood there for a moment. They all looked tired.

Kuhn and Linn knelt down next to Hiro. Haku and Chihiro were next to Eiji.

"What happened?" Haku asked softly.

Eiji sobbed, but said nothing.

Hiro sobbed violently. "She... She was trapped in her own trial! She had kids, and a family, the whole deal!"

"Sh-She begged us to kill her..." Eiji whispered.

"I told her... That she would see her kids again... I promised something, and I lied... She looked so happy! Then she died! Just... Dead."

He leaned into his parents.

"Eiji..." Said Chihiro.

"There was no way that you would have been able to keep that promise... What you did for her was merciful. She died hopeful, and happy..."

He cried, and soon after he fell asleep.

Hiro was still awake. She sobbed into Kuhn.

"Dad! I'm still awake! I just want to sleep..."

She coughed violently, and cried more.

He held her. "I know... I know you do... I'm sorry hun, just try to relax..."

Kuhn sighed. She was really sick, and he knew that he was most likely going to catch it.


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Change of Heart

Eiji had woken up later that afternoon. Hiro was still awake.

She looked absolutely miserable.

She was sitting on a couch in the upper office, coughing up a lung, and she couldn't breath out of her nose at all.

She was attempting to eat a mild melted cheese sandwich.

"Ugghhh... Everythig tastes awful... Beig sick is a paidn idn my ass."

Kuhn sighed. "I don't know what to tell you kid, I hope I don't get it!"

She rolled her eyes. "Geeze... Thaks for the bmoral support Dad! Mob!"

Linn looked out the window.

"I don't see a mob."

"No! MOB!" She exclaimed.

Linn shrugged. "Kuhn, I think she's starting to hallucinate..."

This kind of irked Hiro, but she also couldn't help smiling.

"Momb! You know what I bean!" She laughed, trying to sound as angry as possible.

"Like the Chili!" Said Linn. "Beans!"

Kuhn laughed.

Hiro slapped her palm to her face. She laughed.

"You're all jerks!"

She sneezed, and nothing came out.

She grabbed her nose.

"Ow! God DABBIT! PAIDN!"

Linn cringed. "Ooooohhh... Those one's suck! I'm sorry you're so sick."

Hiro stood. "Yea... Bme too. I'm gonda try to walk bmore, and if I'bm lucky, I'll pass out..."

She waved. "See you guys..."

She walked around for a while, and passed by some large shelves.

She heard something... Like music, or someone playing the piano.

She put her ear to the wall next to the shelves, and saw that there was a door there.

She moved a shelf over.

It was an elevator.

"Woah... That's weird." She said.

She pushed the button, and it opened.

She stepped inside, and Listened to where the music was.

It was above her.

She lifted the lever, and the door closed, sending her up.

The elevator was dark, because all of the lights had gone out in them...

"This is kidn of creepy..." She said to herself.

The door opened, and a dim lit room was revealed. Eiji was playing the piano. He hadn't noticed her yet. The door closed quietly, sending the elevator back down.

Hiro silently sat down, her back against a dark wall.

She just sat there, and listened to him play... It was so soothing, that she nodded off into sleep.

...

Eiji played the chords for a while. This was his favorite, because the sounds would flit around in shades of blue and green... The green reminded him of Hiro's eyes.

He closed the piano, and set his head down on it. He missed home.

He hated the fact that he missed it so much, and he would never admit it...

It just made him sad.

He stood, and walked over to the elevator, and jumped when he saw Hiro sitting there.

She was sleeping.

He walked quietly over to her, and knelt down.

 _Has she been listening this entire time? I hadn't even noticed..._

 _She looks so peaceful... At least she's sleeping._

 _I wish I could give her a kiss... For one, I don't want to wake her._

 _I also don't want to catch her cold... That looks horrible, and I'd rather not experience it._

He sighed. "Sleep well..." He whispered.

Then he fell asleep.

It was another dream.

...

Eiji woke up in the dream, and rubbed his eyes.

"Where am I...?" He said softly.

He looked behind him, and saw a giant carnivorous cake dumpling chasing him.

Wasn't this Max's nightmare?

His eyes widened, and he ran.

"Shit! Not this again!"

The dream was different than the last one however. There were multiple areas, and more than just their accumalitive nightmares.

It was also the group's nightmares as well. This was the trial of fear, changed around. The trial of change...

...

I was in the dream. I looked around, and saw...

The room was dark, and no one seemed to be in it.

Something swung at me, and I stepped back.

"Who's there!?" I yelled.

There was a familiar laughter that filled the room. My heart stopped.

"You sound so scared..." Said Nina.

"Is everything okay?"

I felt a tear slip.

"Wh-Where are you love? I want to see you..."

A greatsword plunged toward me, and nicked my arm.

"I'm over here!" She laughed playfully.

"What's wrong...?" Her tone filled with worry.

"Why are you just standing there?"

My lower lip was trembling. I had to kill her, didn't I?

...

Hiro woke up in the dream.

She looked around, and her eyes widened.

"I thought we'd get a nice room after this? But, wow... This place is AMAZING!"

She ran around, and the ground was very soft... Is this where Eiji used to live?

"Hey Eiji! You were right! This place is SO beautiful! Eiji...?"

She couldn't find him.

"This is a trial dream, but... Where's the trial?"

She saw the sky grow dark, and all of the trees lost their leaves. The area grew very hot, and the trees lit on fire.

It was too hot, and smoke started to fill her lungs.

She couldn't crawl away, because her body felt like lead.

"Help!" She coughed.

"EIJI! HELP ME!" She screamed.

"I don't want to die! Help! SOMEONE! MOM DAAAD!"

She coughed and wheezed, gasping for air...

...

Kuhn was surrounded by his family members. They were all angry at him...

Linn was leaving him, and Hiro hated him. Kahn had died...

He was all alone...

All alone...

"I don't want to die! Help! SOMEONE! MOM DAAAD!"

Kuhn looked around him. This was NOT his family.

His REAL family was in danger.

The room disappeared, and he was where Hiro was.

He covered his mouth with his shirt, as the smoke came rolling in.

He saw Hiro. She was desperately gasping in for air, and clawing at the ground.

Kuhn ran up to her, and his body collapsed.

"H-Hiro!" He began coughing.

"I will NEVER let you die." He forced himself to move, and carried Hiro away from the smoke.

She coughed and hacked, vomiting something black that smelled of smoke.

She sobbed, leaning into him.

"D-Dad! I... I thought for sure, I..."

She continued to cry.

He held her, and rubbed her back, pressing soft kisses to the top of her head.

"Shhh... It's okay... I would never let that happen."

She cried into him. "I'm sorry I'm such a screw up all the time..."

"You're not a screw up." He sniffed.

"I love you! I just get so worried, and I don't want you messing up like I did... I just want to keep you safe!"

Tears were streaming down his face.

"You're my world, I mean it..."

She sighed, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"I know... I love you too."

She stood, and held out her hand.

"I think the others are in here, and honestly? I wasn't expecting to see you here. Come on, let's go find them."

He took her hand, and stood.

"Right, let's find-"

"Where are they!?" Linn screamed. "I'LL KILL THEM ALL!"

She looked over at Kuhn and Hiro.

"Oh. You're okay..."

She ran up to Hiro, pressing kiss after kiss on her face.

"What in the hell are we doing here!? Ah, I don't care! I'm just glad you're okay!"

Hiro laughed. "I love you too!"

She looked around, and saw silver threads flying about.

"Hiro!" He yelled.

"I think I know where everyone else is."

He hugged her. "I am SO sorry you got my nightmare! I'm glad you're okay..."

He pointed to the other areas.

"That's where the others are, I'm sure of it."

They nodded.

"Then let's go."

...

I had not struck her yet. I could never strike her.

Not Nina...

No, never...

I was pinned in a corner. I saw a greatsword flying at me, and closed my eyes.

 _If this is how it ends... So be it._

Someone stepped in front of him, and deflected the blow.

It was...

It was Nina.

She killed the fake Nina, and the room became dim as windows appeared. Not completely dark.

Her face... She hadn't changed at all.

He held her face, and traced it with his hand...

"Nina..."

She kissed him. "I love you..." She said softly.

He kissed her back with a longing passion. Breathing her in, and trailing kisses on her skin.

She pressed him against her.

His shirt was ripped off of him, and she trailed kisses and bites up and down his torso, her hand low...

He let out a low moan...

She nipped his ear.

"I have to go..." She whispered.

"Maybe we'll visit again some time..."

She disappeared, and his back slid against the wall as he sat...

"Oh god..." He moaned.

"I almost forgot how good she was."

The door slammed open.

"God damn!" Linn exclaimed. "What the hell happened to you!? Your chest is all kinds of bruised up..."

Hiro gaped. "That must have been horrible!"

I turned red.

"Yes, it was awful... Horrible..."

Kuhn gave me a knowing look.

"Yeah... Terrible."

...

Max was splashing around in Hiro's nightmare.

"This is the BEST SWIMMING POOL EEEVVEEER!" He exclaimed.

He splashed the water with his claws.

"WEEEEEEEEEE!"

The door was opened, and Hiro froze.

"N-No... Not this AGAIN!"

She walked away from the room.

"Max, come on." Said Eiji.

"It's time to go."

He pouted, and folded his arms.

"No! I don't WANNA!"

Eiji sighed. "I thought this might happen..."

He pulled out a chunk of the carnivorous dumpling's remains.

"Here max! Have a cake dumpling!" He threw it outside.

Max chased it, and swallowed it whole.

"Mm! THAT WAS TASTY!"

He looked at the now empty room, and gave Eiji a look.

"The Prince of Rain knows me well..."

They all snickered an stifled laughs.

Eiji's eyes widened. "N-NO! I thought I could make them forget THAT!"

Max gave a mock bow.

Eiji fumed. "You did that on PURPOSE!? COME HERE YOU!"

Max made faces at him, as he dodged Eiji's threads.

Hiro grabbed the bridge of her nose.

"Those idiots."

...

Chihiro was curled up into herself, sobbing.

"There was nothing I could do! I just watched them all die! No... NOOO!"

She sobbed. "I just want to hold him again... And hold them both... Haku... Oh god, I failed him. Eiji... I'm sorry... I'M SORRY!"

She cried into herself.

A hand touched her shoulder. She looked up, and saw Eiji.

She wrapped him in a hug.

"Your alive! I love you... I love you..."

Eiji stifled a sob. "Mom, it's okay... I'm fine... So is Dad, we just need to find him."

She looked up, and saw the others.

She nodded.

"Okay then, where is he."

...

Boh was in a normal room...

"Well... This sucks. I wonder where No-Face is?"

"Are you impossible to scare!?" Screamed a woman's voice.

Boh shrugged. "No, you're just really stupid."

"Oh COME ON!" She yelled.

"Your dismembered friend wasn't enough!?"

He laughed. "No-Face doesn't dismember!? He fades! Say it with me. FADES."

A room appeared, and No-Face reached out to Boh, fading.

He rolled his eyes. "Well, NOW I see it coming... By the way? You got the 'Ah' wrong."

The room changed back.

"You know? Your one sick bastard..."

He shook his head.

"You just really suck at this."

...

Haku was in a dim room.

Chihiro and Eiji were strung up on the wall, and he was chained to the floor.

Kaihn was there, and Haku heard Chihiro screaming as Kaihn dug out her eyes. Eiji tried to reach for her, screaming. Another pulse of electricity shot through him, causing him to vomit blood.

Haku was desperately trying to break his chains.

"No! NO! CHIHIRO! EIJI!" He screamed.

They were in so much pain! And he was useless...

Kaihn started sawing at her throat.

"CHIHIRO!"

The door opened, ending the nightmare.

Haku saw Chihiro and Eiji.

He ran up to his son.

"Eiji... Oh Eiji... I'm so glad that wasn't real."

He wrapped Chihiro in a warm hug, kissing her softly.

"Chihiro... I thought..."

She kissed him.

"I know."

...

Shisuta was floating in a dark space...

Her body was cold, and her limbs were numb.

A familiar demon circled around her.

She sighed. "So it is that time then..."

The demon smiled. "Such resolve... Yes, you'll do just fine..."

She closed her eyes. "Then take me, if you must..."

He laughed. "No... I'll have you take me. I never wanted an heir, but this uprising has given me no choice..."

Her eyes widened. "Excuse me? I'm NOT going to DIE!?"

He grinned... "No... Today is your lucky day princess. You see, the heavens enslaved me, but without them, I am nothing."

She nodded. "I see, so this is your loophole... You need an heir for your power to live on, so you are merging with me as a last resort."

He laughed. "Take it or leave it!"

She grinned. "Oh, I will take it thank you. It is definitely a step above eternal darkness."

She felt his power become one with hers...

She woke up.

Karo was in a chair next to her, he was asleep.

She smiled. "Of course he waited here."

She shook him. "Karo... I am awake, and I will not be dying!"

No movement.

"Karo? Hey are you alright?"

She saw Kahn and Chihiro. They were both asleep.

She checked the other rooms and offices, and found the others asleep. She went up in the attic, and saw Hiro and Eiji asleep.

"Hmm... They must all be in a dream."

She walked back to Karo, and waited for him to wake up.

...

Boh walked up to us cheerfully.

"Hey guys, how are you holding up?"

I blinked. "Well, I guess... You?"

He laughed. "That was funny! She dismembered No-Face! No face doesn't dismember..."

He sighed happily. "She sucks at this, right?"

We all looked down..

"Yeah... Not at all. Hmm..." Said Kuhn.

"Screw THAT! I almost DIED!" Yelled Hiro and Linn.

Hiro looked at Linn. "That bad, huh Mom?"

"Damn right!" She exclaimed.

Eiji nodded. "Now all that's left is No-Face, Haruka, and Karo."

...

Karo was in an open field, sitting in front of a tombstone. He figured Shisuta would have liked that...

Every day without her seemed more and more miserable... His heart had broken, and he was slowly fading into nonexistence.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. It was Haruka.

"Karo, it's just a dream..." She said.

He shook his head. "No... I wish it was. She's gone... She can't even hear me, so why do I even bother with this?"

She shook him. "Karo! SNAP OUT OF IT! Can't you HEAR ME!? LISTEN!"

He tuned his ears, and he heard her. He knew she was telling the truth.

He hugged her.

"You're right! But..."

He sobbed. "She's still going to die... THIS will be me!"

"No... Never!" She sniffed.

"I will never let you fade away! Even if I have to drag you to life by your hair!"

He laughed sadly. "Kicking and screaming... Huh?"

She smiled. "Well, I left that last part out. But, whatever."

The field turned to dirt, and the others ran to them.

"Good!" Eiji exclaimed. He looked relieved.

"We couldn't get in there, thanks Haruka!"

She nodded. "Of course."

... No face was surrounded by a bunch of angry females.

"Hey! I didn't know you could understand me!" He exclaimed.

"It's a compliment dammit! You really do have nice-!"

One slapped him. "No-Face! You're such a PIG!"

He looked up thoughtfully.

"Hey, why not! At least then I'd have a face! Motorboating for everyone!"

"You really ARE a pig!" A woman screamed.

No-Face busted outr laughing. "Yeah, you just guessed!?"

Boh and the others showed up, and the pretty ladies disappeared.

"Ah." He said angrily.

Boh laughed. "Sorry man, but this dream is over!"

"Not quite..." Said a woman from behind them.

It was Karin. She had Junichi, and had a knife to his throat.

He rolled his eyes. "Really? That was idiotic."

Linn gaped.

"Oh, hi Linn." He said. "Yeah... I'm being held hostage. And the kidnapper's such a-!"

"Don't say another word!" She yelled, holding the knife more firmly against him.

He laughed. "Do it! See what happens after that! Do you really think they'll stand idly then? What, just throw away their lives? I think not."

A bead of sweat dripped down her brow. She forced a smile.

"You know, I don't have to make this painless!"

"Well, we're right here!" Hiro exclaimed. "You really are stupid..."

She twitched. "I've HAD IT WITH YOU!"

She dropped Junichi, and dashed toward Hiro.

Shisuta appeared, and grabbed her.

"My my... You are quite the hasty one!"

Karin was frozen in fear.

Shisuta pulled her up. Her face came close to Karin's.

"What ever is the matter...?" She asked.

"Toad caught your tongue?"

Karin screamed bloody murder as Shisuta absorbed her.

She laughed. "I am beginning to like this power!"

The area faded into blackness, and the dream ended.


	39. Chapter 39

****Hello readers. I think that the ShiSasageru pair needs a theme. I have a song that may do the trick.**

 **The song is called 'The Black Star' and it's done on piano.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=jbpajQ11zwQ

 **The last letter in the link is capital 'Q'. Just in case you accidentally erase the last letter... Which has apparently been an issue. Sorry about that... :P**

 **Well, I hope that helped. Enjoy Chapter 39! :)****

Chapter 39: Mortal Limbs

I woke up, and I was flustered by the dream's events.

"Oh lord... And I thought I knew stress! Those poor kids!"

"Sh...Shisuta..."

We looked over at Karo and Shisuta. She was alive.

I thought back to the dream. Yes, she was alive. She had also somehow obtained Sasageru's power.

A dangerous power to hold in the palm of your hand.

Don't get me wrong, I was very happy she was alive. I was also worried.

Looking at her moving and breathing? My relief currently outweighed my worry.

Karo wrapped her in a hug. "I love you!" He cried.

"I don't want to EVER lose you! Just seeing you like that... I was already breaking..."

She gave him a kiss, and tears spilled from her eyes.

"You don't have to worry about it anymore, and neither do I!"

I walked up to her. "Shisuta?"

She looked at me. "Yes? What is it?" She asked.

Tears were spilling out of my eyes, and I hugged her.

"I'm sorry... I shouldn't have been cross with you in the trial of tongue's... I'm sorry little sister... I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She sniffed. "I was never mad at you..."

We heard a thud in one of the rooms.

"Oh... Shit!" A man yelled.

"That... Excuse my French... That cock teasing lie riding pig faced daughter of a WHORE! That bitch turned me MORTAL!"

We all ran out of the room, and saw... I think it was Junichi.

He was stuck in a wall.

"And I came back while phasing through a wall! Fantastic..."

I was confused. "Wait, Karin did this to you!?"

He sighed. "Yes. I was going to see if everyone was alright... I got a little distracted."

"A little." Said Shisuta flatly.

"So what!?" He exclaimed. "The wandering dead don't get around much... And, well... She was hot."

Shisuta laughed. "I meant the kidnapping, but that works too!"

He shrugged. "Yeah, that too."

Karo laughed. "This guy's awesome! Can we keep him?"

I shook my head and smiled.

"I think Linn will be the judge of that."

"Wait." Said Junichi.

"I don't know if she's mad at me... This could get ugly."

Karo shrugged. "One way to find out! LINN!? COME DOWN HERE!"

"What the hell is it NOW!" She yelled.

Junichi glared at him. "You really suck."

Linn walked in.

She saw Junichi, and her first reaction? Laughter.

"You got stuck in a wall!?"

Then she walked up to him, and backhanded him.

"How COULD YOU!" She screamed.

He sighed. "Had that one coming."

Karo held his hands up in surrender.

"I did NOT see that coming I swear!"

She backhanded Junichi. Again.

"Why did you let HIM call me down!?"

"Why did you hit me for THAT!?" He exclaimed.

She teared up.

"Why did I hit you at all!"

She hugged the shoulders and head that were sticking out of the wall.

She cried. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel so horrible!"

He sniffed. "Linn... Please don't blame yourself. Also realize that half of this outburst is most likely because you're pregnant."

Linn slapped him again.

"Really!? You just HAD to say that!"

Shisuta cringed. "Ooooh... That was the wrong thing to say..."

Linn cried again. "I'm sorry I keep on hitting you... You're just such an asshole, it's hard sometimes."

He looked down. "I'm sorry about that, but there's no cure for testosterone..."

Karo laughed. "I love this guy!"

Junichi groaned with annoyance.

"Now could someone PLEASE get me out of this wall, so I can hug my sister?"

Hiro came down. "Okay, who the hell pissed mom off?"

She looked over at Junichi.

"Oh... That makes sense. You're stuck in a wall."

He sighed. "As if that weren't obvious enough..."

Hiro shifted into a pixie.

"Here, let me help."

He laughed. "What are you going to do with that!?"

Linn shook her head as Hiro fumed.

"You're going to be sorry you said that."

She blasted him out of the wall, and into the next room with a single kick.

"You didn't even use magic." Shisuta commented.

"I didn't have to!" She yelled.

"Teach him to underestimate me..."

"I thought I was wearing pants!" Junichi yelled.

"Oh no... No one come in... Unless you're bringing clothing."

Hiro stopped.

"Ew, just... Ew."

She walked away.

"I'll get him some clothes." I said.

I walked to my room, and got some simple clothing for him. I never spent much time in here, but I had to get dressed and all.

I walked back, and went inside the room he was blasted into.

I handed him the clothes.

"You can keep those." I said. "And you should get more when you have the chance."

He nodded. "Fair enough."

I walked out.

As soon as he was dressed, he came out.

Linn laughed. "Wow... You're just... Such a dumbass sometimes!"

She sobbed. "Where have you been...?"

Kuhn walked down.

"Hey, I heard a crash, and..."

Kuhn stared at the wall, and the man.

"You were the hostage from the dream... Linn's brother?"

He nodded. "Yes, that was me."

Kuhn punched him in the face.

He looked over at Linn. "Sorry Linn."

He looked over at Junichi again.

"She blamed herself for over thirteen years... Did you know that?"

He let out a heavy sigh. "Yes, I do..."

Kuhn nodded. "Good."

He held out his hand.

Junichi took it.

"I'm Kuhn, nice to meet you Junichi."

Junichi nodded. "Likewise."

"Can someone explain to me what just happened!?" Shisuta exclaimed.

Linn sighed. "It's a guy thing, I'm sure."

Junichi walked up to her.

He smiled. "You can hit me again if you want."

Linn wrapped him in a hug.

"You're such an asshole!" She cried.

"Promise me you'll stick around this time?"

He sniffed. "Yeah. I'm not going anywhere..."

Today was a day stuffed full of second chances. My worry was Shisuta. No doubt, Junichi would try to make amends. Shisuta...

With this new power you have, it hungers like the knowledge you were cursed with.

I just hope she won't be too reckless.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40: The Sacrificial Trial

Karo and Shisuta were lying together, Still intertwined with each other.

Karo traced his hand up and down her back, staring peacefully into her eyes. He gave her a soft and lingering kiss.

She smiled. "I have always liked your lips... They're very soft."

He winked. "All the better to kiss you with my dear..."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "You are so strange sometimes!"

He leaned in, brushing his lips against her neck.

He nipped her ear. "But you know you like it..." He whispered.

She grinned. "Maybe a little..."

She slid her hands up his back, and tickled under his wings.

He jumped, and let out a laugh.

"Are we doing this?" He asked playfully.

His hands sliding up her waist. Her head tilted back as he trailed kisses on her skin.

He poked under her ribs.

She let out a laugh, then a snort.

She turned red.

"You made me... Do... That was a cheap move!"

He laughed. "Don't be so embarrassed! I think it's adorable!"

She rolled her eyes, but her face was still red.

"It's not that adorable..."

He kissed her softly, running his hands down her waist.

"Yeah it is..." He said softly.

She sighed happily. "You always have this way of making all of my troubles seem smaller..."

She looked down. "Well, almost all of them."

Karo sighed. "Still worried about the next trial dream?"

She nodded. "That, and Shinjitsu. He will be back, and he wants the children alive, because of those dreams. This is the last one, and I have a bad feeling..."

...

Eiji and Hiro were outside again.

Hiro was weeding, and Eiji was helping her.

Hiro shook her head. "How can you enjoy this? It's so tedious... Won't your parents get mad at you for helping me? You're supposed to be writing sentences."

Eiji sighed. "Yeah, but that's so useless! At least I'm accomplishing something out here..."

She laughed. "If you say so."

They finished up their weeding, and it was still early afternoon.

Hiro smiled. "Well, we have some time to kill"

Eiji smiled. "Okay, I found this neat looking pond. We should check it out! The sky looks really clear from over there..."

She nodded. "Then let's go."

They walked over to where the pond was. It was past multiple rose hedges, and some old pens...

The pond was really beautiful, and it looked like the sun would set right in front of it.

Hiro breathed a sigh of happiness.

"Wow... This is nice."

"It IS a lovely day..." Said a voice.

They spun around, and saw Shinjitsu standing there.

"Didn't you learn anything the last time!?" Eiji yelled, stepping closer to Hiro.

Shinjitsu held up his hands.

"We don't have to fight about this, I come with an offer."

Hiro eyed him suspiciously. "What do you want?"

He grinned. "The dreamstone. The last trial is tonight, and you will obtain it. If you agree to give it to me, you'll find the outcome quite... Civil. You could be kings and queens in the new world, highly respected and named."

"And if we don't?" Eiji asked.

Shinjitsu melted, and appeared behind him, pressing a dagger to Eiji's throat.

"I don't think you want to know."

Eiji spun around, and shot out his threads...

He was gone.

Hiro was frozen in fear.

"Eiji... Shinjitsu's the real deal. He's tough... What do we do?"

He sighed. "Well, we can't let him have it. That's for sure..."

"You may want to rethink that." His voice echoed.

"Oh, and one word of this to anyone? I will kill you. You'll be dead before you can blink."

He was gone. Again.

Hiro let out a heavy breath. "Shit... What do we do Eiji!?"

He looked down. "I don't know, let me think for a while..."

They went back to the Warrior's, because it was getting dark.

Chihiro was standing at the entrance when they got back.

"So Eiji? I take it you can finish five hundred sentences faster than I thought..."

She looked mad.

"Yeah..." He said, looking down nervously.

"So I can... Well I... I finished them, can I not be in trouble?"

"Nope, you're in trouble." She said flatly.

"When you wake up tomorrow, you will be writing 5000 sentences."

Eiji gaped. "That is WAY too much!"

She sighed. "Just do it."

She walked away.

Eiji looked down. "I will."

They felt their minds go dull... Falling into the last trial.

The trial of loss.

...

We awoke in a room with black walls. Everyone was there except Boh and No-Face.

Hiro stood. "Something feels a little more real here..." She said.

"I don't feel like I'm sleeping."

Linn nodded. "Yeah, something's really off."

Eiji looked ahead, and saw a door.

"Should we move forward?" He asked.

Haku nodded. "We might as well."

Junichi sighed. "Alright, but we need to be prepared for the worst. It's called the trial of loss for a reason..."

Shisuta nodded. "I'm ready."

Kuhn stepped closer to Hiro. "Stay by me." He said.

"Is everyone ready?" I asked.

They nodded.

I stood. "Then let's move."

We walked out of the black door, and were met with a hallway.

Max shivered. "Something is very wrong with this place..."

Chihiro nodded. "I have a bad feeling, I mean... It's really bad."

I looked around, and the halls had no enemies. No one was openly trying to kill us, and there were no stealth fighters or traps as far as I could tell.

"Which way then?" I asked.

She pointed forward. "Straight ahead. But I warn you, keep your guard up. No option seems good here.

We walked straight forward.

Eiji tensed as we were about to enter a room.

"Wait!" He exclaimed. "Don't go in-!"

Too late, we had already entered. The room glowed red, and started filling with water. There was a lever. I walked up to it.

I pulled it and a gate opened to a safe path. Once I let go, the gate closed.

My eyes widened. "No..."

"What is it brother!?" Kuhn yelled.

"We need to figure this out fast, or we'll all drown."

I clenched my fists, tears began to fall.

"One of us has to stay." I said.

"What!?" Hiro exclaimed. "NO! That's NOT happening! We'll all make it through this, right Dad!?"

She looked at him. His face was solemn. The water was up to her chest now.

Max ran to the lever. He pulled it, but he didn't have a good handle on it.

Kuhn pushed him aside, and pulled the lever.

"Go! NOW!" He yelled.

"The water won't flood out forever, it will fill the other room if you don't hurry!"

My heart stopped.

"What!? No!" Hiro yelled.

"You can't just... NO! NOO! COME HERE, YOU CAN MAKE IT!"

"Go RIGHT NOW!" He yelled.

Junichi grabbed her and Linn, and we all escaped.

The gate closed. It was over for now.

I stood in silence. I couldn't react right now, because there was nothing I could do. All I could manage was to keep the others safe.

My brother was drowning to death in there.

I bit back my tears.

Hiro fell to her knees. "No... NO! That's my Dad in there! You can't just LET HIM DIE!"

She sobbed. "He's my hero... Please... No, he won't die. He can't... HE CAN'T DIE!"

Linn sobbed, and held Hiro. "I'm sorry! There's no lever on this side!"

She wailed. "DAD! COME ON! No... No, this isn't... DAMMIT!"

She wailed into Linn.

Linn was crying, but continued to hold Hiro.

Eiji was frozen.

We all were.

Eiji sobbed. "What now? Do we just move forward? How many more of us have to die!?"

Haku and Chihiro hugged him.

"I don't know." Said Haku.

"Let's just try not to lose anyone else..."

...

Kuhn had heard Hiro screaming before water filled up the room.

He was still holding his breath. Max had already drowned.

He felt his eyes sting as tears flowed out of them.

 _I'm sorry Hiro..._

 _I'm sorry Linn..._

 _I promised I would never let you die. I didn't..._

 _I guess that means in a way... I was a good father._

 _Linn, I hope you have triplets to give you all of the company that I won't be able to..._

 _I'm sure they'll all be girls, because I asked for a boy..._

 _Oh well, I would have loved them the same._

 _I love you... Stay safe._

...

Boh and No-Face had returned from patrolling the grounds. They walked in, and saw no one was home.

"Where is everyone?" Boh asked.

"They seem to be in the trial of loss." Said a voice.

Boh turned to face Shinjitsu.

"What are you doing here." He said.

Shinjitsu laughed. "You're a larger one. Well you know what they say... The bigger they are-"

Boh kicked him into a tree. "Don't even finish that sentence."

Shinjitsu melted, and slid over to him. "The harder they fall."

He blasted Boh into the same tree, and slid over to him.

Boh readied his axe and hammer. He swung at Shinjitsu as he slithered toward him.

He parted where the axe struck, and came up with a spear.

Boh wouldn't have been able to block that, and No-Face knew it.

He tackled Shinjitsu, and swallowed him.

His spear plunged out of No face. He had eaten Shinjitsu, and had stolen his voice.

"Goodbye... Friend." He said.

Shinjitsu came bursting out of No-Face... And he faded.

All that remained was his white mask. Shinjitsu stepped on it, and it shattered.

Boh smacked Shinjitsu with his hammer. It hit.

Shinjitsu went flying into the stone wall, He stood, and Boh was coming at him with a swing of his axe. He barely dodged it.

Boh swung down with his hammer, and he managed to roll away by the skin on his teeth.

Shinjitsu attempted sprinting away, but Boh jumped in front of him.

"You're going to find out what happens to people who piss me off. Ever imagined that you'd see your intestines decorate a tree!?"

Shinjitsu smirked. "No, and I don't want to."

He disappeared in a puff of smoke. Boh swung at the cloud, but it was too late...

He had escaped.

Boh walked over to No-Face's broken mask. He picked up the pieces, and large tears fell to the ground.

"You did good." He said softly.

"Thank you, No-Face. You had more courage than me old friend... I'll miss you."

...

We entered the next room. There was a lever, but nothing was happening.

Eiji shifted uncomfortably. "Oh no... Not this again."

Hiro shook her her head, she sniffed.

"Not again! No one's dying again!"

I looked around. "Nothing has happened yet... Maybe we can pull the lever, and everyone can get out."

Karo nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

Haruka looked at him. "What if it's a trap? Maybe we shouldn't pull it yet."

Shisuta sighed. "I'm getting the same feeling, but we can't just stay here."

I walked over. "Stay on your guard." I said.

"It may well be a trap."

I pulled the lever...

The ground opened.

Eiji shot out his threads, holding his left hand threads to the ceiling, the right hand ones holding up the others.

"Let go of it!" He exclaimed.

I did, and the floor closed.

I was shaken. "What do we do then!?" I exclaimed.

Karo sighed. "Well, I can fly... Maybe I'll hold the lever."

"No!" Shisuta yelled. "You are NOT going to do that. Your flying is poor at best! No."

Eiji nodded. "If you got stuck out there, not even my threads could save you..."

A thought occurred to him.

"But... They could save me."

"Absolutely NOT!" Haku yelled.

"You're not risking that!" Chihiro exclaimed.

"Well WHAT THEN!?" He yelled.

"If not me, then someone has to DIE! I HAVE THE BEST CHANCE!"

"No." Said Haku. "It's not happening."

Eiji looked at him. "Sorry Dad, it is."

He wrapped his threads around us, and pulled the lever.

He threw us...

We were back in the resort!

Eiji was still holding on to the lever. We all ran to the portal entrance.

Eiji's threads were trying to claw onto the floor. Haku grabbed them.

"Eiji, REACH!" He yelled.

Eiji reached out his hand... But his other on the lever was slipping.

Hiro and Chihiro reached out.

"Eiji!" They yelled.

He was reaching... He almost had them...

The lever threw him off, and the portal closed.


	41. Chapter 41 (Short Chapter)

****Chapter 40... I Cried. You may not have, but I did. It's hard killing characters you like writing.**

 **Well, I found a song.**

 **It's called 'Tears of an Angel' it's a cover sung by Amy Guess.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=lyHlkMZ70i4

 **Well... Enjoy Chapter 41.****

Chapter 41: Crowds on the Stand

I was lying in my bed.

I hadn't done this in a while, but I did last night, and today I will too. I still have Hiro, who is Kuhn's only daughter at the moment. However, I didn't think about that today.

No, today I only thought about the lost. The rest were at the funeral, but I couldn't go. I would be asked to speak, and I wouldn't know what to say.

I couldn't speak for Eiji, in fear of dishonoring him. The same went for my brother.

Not today, and maybe, not ever.

...

They had set up Shrines of their loved ones. Each included a painting, via Karo, and an assortment of flowers.

There was no speaking as the shrines were set. Only a heavy sorrow which hung in the air. Chihiro's face was tear stained, as was Haku's. They both looked numb.

The ceremony was supposed to have started. Eiji, No-Face, Kuhn, and even max. A shrine Hiro set up after helping with Kuhn's. Everyone was there.

All of the refugees, and even the Leviathans.

Kahn was not. He had taken this very hard.

A woman walked up to Boh. Her name was Mei, and she had known Eiji.

She handed him a mask...

No-Face's mask. She had glued it back together, and handed it to him.

He looked over at the shrine. She nodded.

He walked over, and set the mask on the shrine. Big tears fell from his eyes. He gave a salute to the air, and stepped back. A child walked up, and handed Linn a bluebell.

"H-Here miss." He said.

She knelt down, and accepted the flower.

"Thank you little one." She said tearfully.

He gave her a small hug, and walked away.

Navin, Mei's son, walked up to Hiro.

He burst into tears, then regained a small amount of his composure.

He handed her a flower. It was a cloth rose, made with purple and blue petals.

"Eiji... He wanted you to have it."

Hiro held the flower in her hand. It was beautiful...

She burst into tears, and hugged Navin.

"Thank you..." She whispered.

Mei walked up to Haku and Chihiro. She gave them both hugs.

"A daughter..." She said tearfully.

"I know... That you're suffering."

Chihiro cried, and hugged the woman.

Linn teared up. "No one should EVER have to see their children off." She said softly.

She looked down at Hiro. "Remember that."

Hiro cried into her. She never wanted to do that to her mom.

She never wanted to lose her dad, or Eiji.

She never wanted any of this...

But it happened, and what's worse? No dreamstone to show for it.

Haku's eyes were streaming with tears. He was looking into the sky mournfully...

He may have been looking in the wrong direction.


	42. Chapter 42

****Ever heard of George R. R Martin... The game of thrones people will understand. Sorry, I couldn't do a Martin.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 42! :)****

Chapter 42: The Ultimate Trial

Eiji opened his eyes.

He sat up, and felt that his leg had broken. He wasn't very surprised, because of the giant crack he heard when he hit. But still, it was gruesomely painful.

He jumped when he realized how hot the ground was. It had sent third degree scorch marks up his side, where he was laying. He stood, and pain shot through his leg.

"Ah! DAMMIT!" He yelled.

It seemed no matter what he did, he was in excruciating amounts of pain.

He looked ahead and saw a cave.

"I could probably sit there." He said aloud.

He hobbled over to the cave, cringing as the soles of his shoes melted to his feet.

He walked into the appealingly cool looking cave.

The cave closed down behind him.

It started to heat up, and Eiji banged on the walls in an attempt to escape. The walls became hot, and Eiji could hardly breath as this scorching pain cooked him alive.

Like being in an oven, feeling your own flesh boil over in agony...

He opened his eyes, and felt the same broken leg, with his burned up side.

He stood.

He was shaking, and didn't want to move. He didn't plan on going in that cave again...

The ground opened up again, and teeth swallowed him, eating him alive...

Tearing his body apart with it's razor sharp fangs...

He opened his eyes, and immediately stood, running as fast as one with a broken leg could.

No cave, and no not moving. Eiji knew where he was, but he didn't want to admit it. This place holds a true legend of no escape, and Eiji desperately wanted to escape

There was a howl in the distance.

Eiji tried to run faster, but he was as good as wounded prey to these wolves.

They tackled him, tearing him limb from limb.

He woke up.

He stood, and didn't move.

The ground opened up again. He tried to attack the beast from the inside, which only prevented his immediate demise.

He fell into this slop. It felt strange on his skin, and it smelled horrible. It was dark, and he was neck high in this horrible goo.

It wasn't horrible... Not at first.

Soon, his skin broke out in an excruciating rash.

His skin started to peel, until he felt his very flesh being dissolved.

He let out agonizing and tortured screams as his flesh and bones were slowly being eaten away.

No longer able to take the suffering, he allowed himself to drown in the digestive juices of the beast.

He woke up, and ran again.

He ignored the pain in his leg, running faster in another direction. He heard the wolves coming, and shot out his threads, keeping them at bay as he ran. They scurried off, and Eiji relaxed.

Just in time to step into an electric field.

All of the muscles in his body tensed up all at once. He felt his body pulsing as his own flesh slowly melted off of his bones.

He remembered the humming sound it made, and decided he'd remember that later.

He didn't want to run into it again.

He woke up, and ran in the same direction. He kept the wolves at bay again, and watched them scurry off. The humming hit his ears, and he ran around the field. He moved forward as the humming stopped.

He continued to run, and stopped as his feet hit a shallow bit of ground. He fell, and all was dark again.

...

Kuhn had seen Eiji fall. He had made it through countless tortures, and into some sort of Haven. Kuhn had gotten there in a similar way, falling through the ground, and being housed by the residents.

He ran, and caught Eiji.

His right leg was horribly broken, and he had third degree burns on his right side as well.

A girl ran up to him.

"Another one already?" She asked.

Kuhn nodded. "Yeah, I know this one. He was with the group I was in... He must have gotten stuck during the trial."

The girl looked at Eiji, and sighed.

"Loki, we've got another one."

A woman with jet black hair walked up. Her eyes were a striking mixture of indigo blue and a darker violet. Her skin was extremely pale, and she held an hourglass figure that would put most models to shame. The one off feature she had, were the burn marks that marred one side of her face.

The burns went down her neck, and no one saw past that.

She knelt down, and looked at Eiji.

"Those burns can be healed." She said.

She examined the now mutilated leg. She also saw that his arm was now horribly injured, due to a gash filled with toxins. He was running so fast, he didn't even realize he had gotten it.

She took a piece of tight fabric, and tied it tightly above the gash.

"The arm's coming off." She said. "I'm not sure about the leg yet."

Kuhn's eyes widened as he saw the festering gash.

"Oh god... What happened to him?"

Loki shrugged. "Hard to say, we'll know more when he wakes up... If he wants to talk at all."

He stirred.

"Though I was hoping it wouldn't be soon." She said.

He groaned in pain. "Uuugghnn... What's happening..." He croaked.

"Stay calm." Said Loki.

He looked at his arm. "Why can't I feel it?" He asked, reaching for the tied cloth.

She grabbed his hand.

"Don't touch that." She said. "It's the painkiller we have, and it cuts off blood flow."

Eiji started shaking. "B-Blood flow? Why...?"

"The arm has to come off." She said. "I just hope the shock will help you forget some of it..."

He began to struggle.

"Hold him down!" She yelled, looking at Kuhn.

Kuhn was conflicted. "There has to be a better way!" He exclaimed.

"Do you want him to die!?" She barked.

"The toxins in his arm will kill him, there is no cure. Now hold him DOWN!"

Kuhn held him down.

"No! DON'T!" He screamed.

The woman tied the knot tighter, and began to saw off the arm.

Eiji began screaming in agony as she continued.

"STOP! NO!" He wailed.

After that it was just screaming...

Kuhn looked away, biting back tears as his hand twitched painfully.

The arm was off, and Eiji had finally passed out from the pain.

The woman was a fine medic, suturing his upper shoulder, and reconnecting the veins.

She loosened the cloth, but only slightly.

"This allows for some healing." She said.

"However, I want to make sure his shoulder heals up some before I remove it. He's going to be in pain anyway, but I don't need to increase it."

Kuhn sighed. "Alright then, what about his leg?"

She gave it another look. She sighed.

"The bone needs to be set, and then I'll wrap it. He is not to be walking around at all."

Kuhn nodded. "Right, and I take it that you want me to watch him."

She looked at him. "Well, you do know him. So yes."

"Of course." He said. "I would have done of anyway."

He looked down at him.

He sighed. "Eiji... I'm sorry you're in this mess."

Loki finished wrapping his leg.

"That should do it." She said.

She looked at Kuhn. "Good work."

He looked down. Eiji was in so much pain... It didn't feel like good work. In some ways he disliked Loki, because she was ruthless in most of her practices.

But you had to appreciate the speed and precision in which she accomplished her goals.

Kuhn was no one to be complaining right now.

Loki's attitude was exactly why everyone here was alive.


	43. Chapter 43

Chapter 43: Extra Training

Eiji was waking up slowly. His eyes were barely opening, and he was loosely taking in the surrounding conversations.

"You should Have killed her then." Said a woman.

Kuhn scoffed. "Well, it wasn't that simple! There were a loot more complications. Haven't I already explained it?"

She sighed. "Yes... You did. You should have restrained Kahn in a separate room, and stabbed the demon. Just a thought. Half of your group knew she was Lilith, and yet you followed her? And what of the woman with this 'glorious' intuition? She should have killed her! Did her own child running away not send a message saying 'Stab the demon'? What about the woman with infinite knowledge? She should have found you by now. You should have tied the lever down, Though I cannot argue your reasoning for not... Had you just stabbed Lilith to begin with, you and your friend, and let me not mention this family you go on about... None of you would be in this predicament."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Kuhn mumbled.

"What about Eiji's burns? How are they doing?" He asked.

"They're healing." She said. "Though it will take time. We have no magical healers, so this makes the process slower."

Eiji looked down at his arm.

It was gone.

"What happened?" He asked.

"Oh you're awake." Said the woman. "Good, I have some questions for you. As for the arm, well it's gone. And please... No complaining. Just be happy you aren't being digested or plunged into a pit of carnivorous parasites."

Eiji cringed. "Th-Thanks..." He said.

"Do you have anything for the pain?"

"No." She said flatly.

He sighed. "Okay then... Geeze. So, what do you want to ask?"

"Well to start." She said. "How did you get here?"

Eiji gave her a flat look. "I fell through your ceiling."

"That attitude will get you nowhere here." She said coldly.

"Nor will being daft, now answer my question. How did you end up wandering the lowest plain."

He sighed. "I ended up here because I had the best chance of survival in the last part of the trial. The ground had dropped and the door would open, the levers-"

She waved her hand. "Your friend explained the levers, skip that part. Why did you have the best chance of survival."

"The floor dropped." He repeated. "And no one else could have attempted a maneuver out of the trap."

He gave a demonstration with his left arm, shooting out his threads in a split second, then back in again.

"The threads allow me to reach ovber longer distances. I would have made it out, but the lever shook me off."

She nodded. "Okay, but you were going home yes?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I was..."

She sighed. "Was the portal leading somewhere indoors?"

He looked at her in confusion.

"Yeah? And?"

She grabbed the bridge of her nose.

"You had two able arms, both possessing these POWERFUL threads, and you didn't think to latch them to a wall!? And HOW did the lever 'Shake you off'? Your threads must be weak..."

He glared at her.

"No, I wasn't using my threads on the lever."

She scoffed. "I can't believe you didn't think of that!"

He laughed bitterly. "Well, I'm sorry. Next time I have an adrenaline rush, I'll make sure I have ALL of my priorities straight!"

She gave him a cold stare.

"Watch what you say, because I might hold you to it. In a place like this? Such actions are required as more than just a sarcastic remark. You are in hell itself, and it'd be be best if you got used to the concept."

"He's only thirteen." Said Kuhn. "Give him a break."

She paused, then laughed bitterly.

"No one gets a break here..."

She shrugged. "Besides, I was only five when I was sent here... I didn't get a break, and I'm the only reason you're getting this one now."

She looked back at Eiji. "Your arm will cause you a lot off pain. After you are more rested, I will start training you the way a blood master should be trained. And don't walk on your leg, or I'll hurt you."

Eiji blinked. "How can you train me, if I can't move?"

She grinned. "Your threads can move, and you have eyes. You can read, watch your surroundings, and practice your blood strings under my exact instruction. You may not do so without my say. Under my training, you will not so much as scratch your nose without me knowing about it, are we clear?"

"But, that's not-!"

"Are we CLEAR!?" She barked.

"Yes SIR... Uh... oh god. I mean, ma'am..."

She sighed. "I can already tell I'm going to regret this." She walked away.

Eiji nearly melted... But not literally. He now knew the difference... Unfortunately.

Kuhn shook his head. "Yeah... Good luck with that."

"What are you going to do!?" Eiji exclaimed.

He laughed. "Oh hell no! You're on your own with her... She scares the shit out of me."

Eiji rolled his eyes. "Oh joy..."

A girl sat next to him. "Yeah, she's kind of rough around the edges, right?"

He sighed. "Yeah she is... She's going to be my trainer... Dammit..."

She cringed. "That sucks... She's a tough trainer, almost draconian if you ask me. Good luck."

Eiji gulped. "That bad...? Oh shit."

She laughed. "It's been a while since a sense of humor showed up..."

She looked down. "I hope you don't lose that."

She looked at him. "What's your name?"

He smiled. "Eiji, and you?"

She smiled back. "I'm Tira, nice to meet you!"

He was pleasantly surprised with her. Another friendly face besides Kuhn.

She looked at Kuhn. "And you?"

He smiled. "I'm Kuhn, it's nice to meet you?"

Eiji looked at her. She looked at least a year older than him in body, but younger in the face. Could such a friendly person exist here?

"How old are you?" He asked.

She blushed. "Twelve..." She said softly.

"Y-You?"

He shrugged. "Thirteen. I'll be turning fourteen in a couple months."

"Well... I-I'm almost... Thirteen." She said.

Kuhn had to hold back a face palm.

He smiled. "Okay then... Hey, um... You were never... Out there were you?"

She looked up, and sighed.

"Well, I mean... We all were. That's why we're here."

She seemed to freeze for a moment, and then shook her head.

She smiled, but she was clearly disturbed.

"I'd better go check on-!"

"Wait." Said Eiji. "You're not okay... You can talk to me, honest."

She turned red. "I'd really better go!" She exclaimed.

She quickly walked away, and waited until they were out of earshot.

She looked down, fiddling with her hands.

"Well... I'm almost twelve."


	44. Chapter 44

Chapter 44: Scorch Marks on the Soul

Loki was sitting in her room. It was bare, compared to the well decorated interior of the haven...

That's how she preferred it.

No matter how many ribbons you smack on it, the pace was hell four a reason. She figured she shouldn't become attached to materialism or those desires at all.

This was in fact, the sixth haven she had ever sustained.

This one had almost as many as the last.

She mused on this thought...

She shook her head. There was no need to dwell on such thoughts, they were the past.

They should stay there.

Every haven she had ever tried to sustain had been destroyed, and no matter how hard she tried, she was the only survivor.

Those who truly die here are frozen in an eternal statue of agony, never to return.

There are many other sanctuaries she had left, riddled with these statues.

"That's right... Because you weren't good enough." Said a voice.

She looked over, and saw her sister.

"What are you doing here Freya, I told you to stop visiting me."

She laughed. "But why should I? You still don't know after all of this time, you're destined to fail, like all of your statues."

"Those were people." Said Loki. "They aren't just statues. I bet you did this on purpose... This is your fault."

Freya swarmed angrily around Loki.

"You think it's MY FAULT!? YOU ARE THE FAILURE!"

"Shut the FUCK UP!" She yelled.

"Why can't you just shut up, and leave me alone! No one wants you here!"

Freya stopped. "Why would you disown your own sister?" She asked tearfully.

Loki sighed. "Freya... I didn't mean it."

She glared angrily. "You know the drill... Thirty whips."

Loki looked up at her. She was on the ceiling now.

"Will that make you happy?" She asked.

Freya nodded.

She pulled out the whip, and whipped herself on the back thirty times.

They weren't soft either, and often drew blood.

She cringed as she slashed across old scars.

She looked up, and Freya was gone.

"DAMN YOU!" She screamed.

"The time is coming..." She whispered.

"And there's nothing you can do..."

The room became silent. Loki felt the blood running down her back, and sighed.

"Damn... I did it again."

There was a time when she was normal, right?

Loki thought on this... No, she was never normal.

She never will be.

...

Loki was five years old, in fact, she had just turned five that day.

Her parents were wealthy, but they were often busy, and had no time to spend with her. They bought her piles of gifts, so to Loki? This was love.

She didn't have any friends to play with, and she was an only child.

It was her birthday, and her mother had gotten her a new dress. She made a gross face.

Her mother had this habit of dressing Loki like a doll. She hated the dresses, because they would always make her itch, and they were too tight.

She looked over, and saw that her father had gotten her a book.

She smiled. It was a chapter book. It was called, 'Freya and the Warrior's Oath'.

She was a fairly avid reader, and self sufficient for the most part.

She was self taught in most of her activities.

She opened the book, and began to read.

The story was about the main character Freya, and her adventures in foreign lands. She would travel around, and save those who were in peril on her journey to find the amulet of truth. She incorporated the rescued into her party, and traveled with them side by side. She had a friend in the story, and they called each other shield sisters.

Loki was enthralled by this vivid story, unable to stop reading until she finished.

She sighed. "I wish I had a sister..."

Her mother walked in the room.

"Loki? Can mommy talk to you for just a tiny second?"

Loki nodded.

She continued. "Well, you see... I want to have more things. The more things I have, the more I can get for you... Don't you want that for mother?"

She nodded, but there was nothing attached to it. She really didn't care either way.

Her mother gave a greedy smile.

"Thank you! You know mommy loves you right?"

She nodded, same as the last.

"Now, I need you to close your eyes... I have a surprise for you."

Loki closed her eyes...

Her mother quickly bound her, and uttered a spell.

"A sacrifice so bold as this, to give away to you my kin. To give to me all I deserve, for this great cost someone shall burn."

Loki felt the magic push her into blackness...

Darkness...

The ground... IT BURNS!

...

Loki was shaking, she was hugging her knees on the bed, trying to forget.

She regained her composure, and glared.

"Pathetic Loki." She said. "You disappoint me."

She glared harder. "What would you know? Just shut up!"

She began laughing maniacally. "Why don't you go talk with the future statues? They would give you this listening that you crave!"

"SHUT UP!" She yelled abruptly.

"Shut the HELL UP!"

She laughed softly. "Come on... Don't you want to talk to me Loki? Your sister..."

She sighed. "Yes, I do... No one understands me like you do after all."

She grinned. "That's right... Without me you'd be all alone. Remember that."

...

Eiji was sitting against the wall that was next to where he had woken up. He was in a lot of pain, but was silent. He was breaking out into a cold sweat, and shivering slightly.

Kuhn sighed. "How are you feeling?"

"Not good..." Eiji replied.

His leg was throbbing, his shoulder was constantly in pain, and he felt like vomiting.

Loki walked up to him.

"Time to train." She said.

Eiji looked up at her. "Okay then, what are we doing?"

She looked at him coldly.

"Today I will lay out a set amount of hidden birds, you will tell me when you've found them all."

She held out a paper origami bird.

"You will close your eyes, until I've hidden them all. I will tell you to open your eyes when I am finished. Don't peek, or I'll hurt you."

He sighed. "It's always the threats with you, isn't it... I won't."

She nodded. "Close your eyes."

He did.

She was taking a long time, and Eiji was tempted to squint...

"Don't even think about it." She said.

He jumped. "G-God! You scared me! No need to sneak up..."

She jumped around some more, and Eiji tried not to open his eyes.

"You may open them now." She said.

He did.

He spotted several right away. He thought he may have found them all, when he saw another bit of white lodged in a rock on the cave's ceiling. There were more white spots, but it was hard to distinguish the rocks from the birds. When he thought he had them all sorted out and counted, he told Loki.

"I think I got it." He said.

She nodded. "How many birds then?"

"Fifty." He said.

She shook her head. "Two hundred and six. Look behind you, and you'll find twenty more."

He did. They were in a pile behind him, under the small of his back. She was quiet, that was for sure!

He jumped. "Ah! How did you do that!?"

She shrugged.

She handed him a book.

"Read this, and when you've finished, we'll do more."

Eiji smiled.

 _Yes! I get to read ANOTHER book! And I thought my life had gone to shit... I guess not completely._


	45. Chapter 45

****Hello readers! I have a song. It describes the way Loki feels, and the amount of pressure she places on herself.**

 **The song is called, 'Atlas' by Coldplay.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=I-GGkFT03fc

 **The last letter of the link is a lower case 'c'.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 45! :)****

Chapter 45: Instruments of Hope

It had been two weeks since they had fallen.

Or as I now believed, disappeared.

I refuse to believe they are dead. No face? Well, there was no escaping that one.

My brother and Eiji? There was a chance they were still out there. Why?

Because we didn't have the dreamstone.

No. I will not accept their deaths, because I don't think they are dead. These words, however, only caused the others pain.

I know what I must do. Or rather...

Attempt to do.

I have memorized the location of the last portal.

The amulet cannot allow the user to travel between realms. Were I standing on a Stargate? The rules may be bent.

It was the middle of the night. I was standing on the location, amulet in hand.

"Take me to my brother." I said.

A light flashed... And I had moved.

...

Kuhn was looking after Eiji. He was asleep, but clearly he was in pain. From what Kuhn saw, he was getting better at the training. He had finally discovered a technique to find all of the birds, but it was easier said than done.

He had to hear each bird drop, and listen to Loki as she jumped around. He would have to work on his fine tuned listening.

Kuhn mused this thought.

 _Well, that shouldn't be too hard. Teenagers are gifted with selective hearing..._

A light flashed.

Kuhn jumped, and looked over.

Loki had already tackled the intruder, holding one dagger at his throat, the other was in hand to strike anywhere else.

She looked at him, and blinked in surprise.

"Um... So, I take it you're related to Kuhn?"

Kuhn stood. "Kahn!? What the hell!?"

She let go, and allowed him to stand.

Kuhn sighed. "What happened. How did you get here?"

Kahn hugged him. "I knew you weren't dead."

Kuhn hugged him back. "Guess not." He said.

"How did you end up here though?"

Kahn held up the amulet.

"A Stargate that led me to your location, bending the rules of the amulet for a moment... I'm afraid it only goes one way though."

Kuhn laughed. "Oh... That's all..."

He punched him in the face.

"Are you STUPID!? Do you have ANY idea where WE ARE!?"

Kahn sat up, and rubbed his head.

"Enlighten me then."

Kuhn clenched his fists. "You know... The abyss, endless oblivion? Hell!? Yeah... Holy shit. That was stupid..."

Tears streamed down his face.

"You're such an idiot Kahn!"

Kahn sighed. "I'm sorry."

He stood.

"Don't be sorry!" Loki exclaimed.

"I've never seen a finer entrance into this sanctuary. We could use that amulet to get out of here! All of us!"

The crowd stopped, and stared at them.

"Look at how this man entered." She said.

"Could we not use it to everyone's advantage... This gives us the upper hand!"

They whispered excitedly among each other.

Loki looked at Kahn. "Do you have the coordinates of the Stargate in your world. And where is your world? In what perspective is it aligned with earth, and so on... If I can have this information, I can find a way to another Stargate."

Kahn looked at her. "You're human..."

She looked down. "I think... Maybe. It's been too long to tell anymore."

She looked at him, and her gaze became cold again.

"Do you, or do you not have the coordinates." She said.

He looked down. "I do not, but perhaps I can figure them out."

She nodded. "Then do that."

She walked away.

"Kahn? Is that you?" Said Eiji.

...

I looked over, and saw Eiji. He was sitting against a wall, his leg was wrapped, and his arm...

It was gone.

I ran to him. "Eiji! Thank god you're alive! Here, let me see that."

His shoulder was swollen, but otherwise, clean. His leg had been set, but was still broken. I guess there were no magic healers, but the medical care was exceptional.

I began working on his leg. Then his shoulder. He cringed as I pulled away the cloth. I realized then, that they had no pain killers. The way the cloth was tied prevented a great amount of the pain.

I quickly healed it.

A girl was standing there, holding a glass of water. She stared at me in awe.

She set the water down next to Eiji, and looked at me.

"You... You're a magic healer!?"

The crowd stopped, and stared at me again.

The girl dragged me to that woman from before.

"Loki! LOKI! He's a MAGIC HEALER!"

She stopped. "You are!? Good work Tira. You, come with me."

She dragged me to an infirmary, where there were many wounded.

"Can you heal them?" She asked.

I nodded.

I walked over to each one of them, and healed them. There was this one that made even me cringe. It was a woman who had lost both of her eyes, and apparently her hearing. Her face had been wrapped, because most of the flesh had been torn off.

Even a little was enough to reconstruct.

He healed her face, and her eyes. Her ears and hearing were healed next.

"Are you alright now?" I asked.

"Is there anything else that you need healed...?"

She clutched onto me, and sobbed.

"Thank you!" She cried. "Thank you so much!"

I sighed. "It was no trouble."

I healed her son, and he ran to her.

The embrace was bittersweet, and I smiled tearfully. How wonderful...

Loki nodded. "Good work." She said.

Despite her cold appearance, I could tell she was happy.

I smiled. "It was my pleasure, and honor..."

I looked over at the mother and son, still in a warm embrace.

"Quite a sight, yes?"

I looked over, and Loki was already gone.

...

"You need a magic healer to do your work for you!?" Freya yelled.

"You are the definition of PATHETIC!"

"Stop it!" Loki yelled.

"We've needed a magic healer, and now we have one! WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT!"

Freya laughed. "God, isn't it obvious!? To not FUCK UP, AND LET EVERYONE DIE AGAIN!? Or do you need more statues for your collection!"

"SHUT UP!" She screamed.

"Just SHUT UP! You have NO IDEA WHO I AM! All I do every day is keep everyone safe, but it's NEVER ENOUGH FOR YOU!"

Loki laughed... Then she realized she was laughing.

She was alone.

She was always alone, and it was her the whole time.

"It's never enough..." She said softly.

She grabbed the whip, and began lashing herself. She had gotten in about fifty, and stopped when she felt the blood again.

She felt her arms freezing.

"This is it..." She said. "I've lost it."

She let her thoughts slip to the past.

...

Loki had wandered the lowest plain for ten years now. She was fifteen. She just walked, and waited for the wolves. They always came about now.

She heard the howl, and readied her bone knife.

One tried to lunge at her, and she pierced it's skull, stabbing at the temple, which was a weak spot.

She brutally massacred the others in the same manner. She heard humming, and walked away.

She stopped, and let the ground open, dropping an exploding mushroom which was activated by it's saliva.

The ground exploded, and she landed in the pit where it used to be.

She laughed maniacally to herself.

"The beast had that one coming! About time I found some explosives!"

She laughed darkly. "That just felt... Good!"

She laughed maniacally again.

She stopped when she saw someone.

A small boy, who was horribly injured. He wasn't dead.

His leg was gashed open.

She quickly pulled out her homemade suturing out, and sewed it up.

He'd lost a lot of blood, so she made sure he drank the rest of hers while he slipped in and out of consciousness.

He would often try to refuse it, but she made him drink it anyway.

"Just try to drink it all." She said.

He eventually woke up, and looked around.

"Wh-Where am I...?" He asked.

Loki smiled at him. "You are in the beast, but it's dead now."

He looked up. "Well I'd say!"

She laughed. "Yeah, there are so many! But I don't think they'll be a problem here..."

She looked up, and his eyes filled with tears.

He hugged Loki.

"Thank you!" He sobbed. "Thank you so much!"

She held him. "We'll make this a safe place... I promise."

...

I had heard her yelling, and listened to most of the self conversation.

I was concerned when it had suddenly stopped.

I heard this loud cracking noise... Was she hitting something?

It stopped. "This is it..." She said softly.

"I've lost it."

I walked in, and saw her beginning to freeze up, like a statue.

Her back was covered in gashes...

She had been lashing herself!

He healed the gashes on her back...

She was still freezing.

I shook her. "Snap out of it!" I yelled.

"Those people NEED you! YOU CAN'T DIE!"

She began to unfreeze.

"That's right." I said.

"Just keep doing that... No need to lose hope now..."

She unfroze, and collapsed on the floor. Her hands sitting in a pool of her own blood.

She tried to stand, but collapsed even further, laying down in the blood.

"Hold on, you've lost too much blood." I said.

I healed her further, until color returned to her face. I got her some water, and gave it to her.

"Try to drink it all." I said.

Her face was blank as she nodded.

She took the water, and sipped it slowly.

She set down the glass.

"I need you to leave... I'm going to get changed."

I nodded. "Okay, but I'll be waiting outside and listening. Just making sure you don't hurt yourself again."

"Okay..." She said monotone.

I left, and allowed her to get dressed.

Whatever had happened to her, it was horrible... Most things can be healed, but wounds of the soul are different.

Sometimes those wounds mend over time... And sometimes they never heal.


	46. Chapter 46

Chapter 46: A Message

Chihiro was laying in her bed. She had not moved for three days.

She had tried time and time again to move forward... She couldn't. She hadn't touched any food that Haku had given her.

Haku sat next to her.

"Please eat..." He said softly.

"I'm begging you, please eat... I miss him to..."

He teared up. "God... I really miss him... But this won't help anything."

He layer down next to her, his face close to hers.

"I've watched you start to fade now for the past five days..."

It had been five?

"I've already lost my child... I can't lose you too. Chihiro please... Eat."

He sobbed. "Please!"

She burst into tears and wailed into him.

"Okay! I'll eat!" She sobbed.

"This... It has to be a horrible dream! It has to be!"

She continued to cry.

He cried as well, holding her close. This was a bad time for everyone...

Chihiro felt something next to her head. She felt a note.

She sat and opened it.

...

 _Dear Chihiro,_

 _Read this letter, and determine it's truth for yourself._

 _I think they're still alive, and if you see this letter it means I've succeeded in finding their location. If I had failed, I would have retrieved the letter, and you would not have seen it._

 _The fact that you are reading this now, means that I have found them._

 _In this case, I promise you. I will bring them back._

 _Sincerely:_

 _-Kahn_

 _..._

Chihiro clutched the letter in her hand.

He was right. He was right, and they were alive!

"What is it!?" Haku exclaimed. "What does the letter-!"

She grabbed him. "Haku! They're alive! Read this letter, what it says is true!"

He read the letter, and his eyes widened.

"That IS some news... My worry is, can he do it alone?"

Chihiro sighed. "He has to. I don't think there's any way we can reach him from here... He'll make it. I know he will."

...

I had kept a close eye on Loki.

She was still pretty shaken, and hadn't left her room yet. She'd given me instructions on Eiji's training, and only allowed me to enter.

She was usually pretty silent, but I stayed with her anyway, because it seemed to do some good.

She sighed. "Kahn... Can I ask you something?"

I looked over at her. Her expression was solemn, and her eye were sorrowful.

"Sure." I said softly. "Ask away."

"Why don't you hate me...?" She asked.

I was surprised by this.

"Why would I hate you?"

She scoffed. "Oh come on! I'm kind of a troll, you know! Everyone else knows..."

I laughed.

"What's so FUNNY!" She yelled.

I sighed. "They don't know. Sure, you're a little rough around the edges, but you're wise... Wisdom does not come painlessly. You are kind in your own way, by keeping everyone safe. I respect that."

She looked at me. "I am NOT wise." She said.

"This is the sixth Haven I have made. Everyone in the other one's have died... I survived every single time. Do NOT refer to me as you would some wise sage! I am a survivor. THAT IS IT! NOTHING MORE!"

She looked down and glared.

"You'd think that after a century or so, I would have learned something. Nothing. Absolutely nothing!"

She became cold again.

"Go tell Eiji to start training again. Hide the birds in whatever way you see fit."

I stood. "I will. Try not to beat yourself up... You aren't a bad person."

And with that, I left the room.

...

Loki was eighteen now. She had built a roof over the sanctuary, and there were five others in the group. She had trap doors set up, so she could catch those she couldn't find.

She smiled.

"Well, isn't this quite the sight!" She mused aloud.

Her first resident, Tojin, came up to her. He was fourteen now, and stood smiling at the roof.

"You finally finished it! That's great!"

She hugged him. "Isn't it grand!? Just wonderful!"

Katsu walked up to them.

He laughed. "Well you seem happy!"

She blushed. "Oh... Hi Katsu... How are you?"

Katsu had fallen in two years ago, and a year after the Haven had been set. He was nineteen, and Loki was completely in love with him.

Not that she'd admit it. She was too shy...

He smiled. "I'm doing good! I thought the wolves here tasted awful, but you showed me!"

He laughed. "Wow, it was so good! Now I'm stuffed..."

She beamed. "Thank you! I really do try you know..."

"I'll gives you two some alone time..." Said Tojin with a wink.

She turned red. "Hey, shut up you!" She laughed.

Katsu smiled. "You look good in that armor, by the way."

"Wh-What!?" She stuttered. "Uh... Thank you! I... I mean.. Well, you look... Oh hell, never mind."

He laughed. "Don't be so bashful! It's really fine..."

He came close to her. Then he turned red.

He leaned in, and kissed her... It was a soft and lingering kiss.

"I've wanted to do that for a while..." He whispered.

She kissed him back. "Me too..." She said with a smile.

He pulled her in, and kissed her passionately.

"I wonder... How do you look without the armor..." He said softly.

She felt insecure, and pulled back.

"Y-You don't want to see that."

He sighed. "Why, the scars? I don't care... I have my share of them."

She felt comforted by this.

He kissed her, trailing his lips down her neck, and kissing her scars.

"I don't mind..." He whispered.

They went into his room, and he removed her armor.

The scars went all the way down her side, and down her left thigh.

He trailed kisses down her side...

She moaned softly.

She removed his shirt, and saw his chest. Scars and burns that covered his entire torso.

She kissed it, letting her lips trail his scars.

She was nervous too... She had never done this, and never really conceived the thought.

He saw it, and rolled on top of her comfortably.

He nipped at her ear. "It's okay... I know what I'm doing."

She took in a breath of pleasure.

Her skin was very sensitive. On top of that, she had never done this.

His lips trailed lower, and she took in another breath. Jolting slightly.

She let out soft moans, feeling the lust grow more intense.

Their bodies were pressed together. He was more gentle when she cringed at first.

They laid next to each other.

He sighed. "Are you sure...? Damn. I feel like such an ass..."

She laughed. "No, it's fine..."

She kissed him softly. "You tried."

He groaned with dismay.

"Loki! That doesn't make me feel better... That's not fair to you..."

She smiled. "I'm really fine."

He looked at her. "Hold on... You'll like it, I promise..."

He began trailing kisses down her neck again.

"Y-You don't have to..." She said softly.

"But you want me to..." He whispered.

She moaned as he brushed his lips against her chest, moving low again.

She jolted as his hands slid down her waist, her body tensing with ecstasy as she moaned loudly...

Her body relaxed, and she let out softer moans as he trailed back up.

He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her softly.

"See...?" He said softly. "I told you so..."

She sighed happily, and leaned into him...

If there was one solid memory she had of him, it was his scent...

Like breathing his essence in as she slept...

In the morning, it wouldn't matter...

Because everyone in the sanctuary would die.

Everyone but her.


	47. Chapter 47

Chapter 47: Maximum Training

Loki had stayed in her room for two weeks. She had accepted meals, only because Kahn had made her.

She didn't have to listen to him, but couldn't argue his logic.

She stood.

"Eiji needs more training. He has passed the first test twice... Well, here goes everything."

She walked out of her room, and up to Eiji. He was walking around now, and helping Tira with something.

"You passed." She said.

Eiji looked at her.

"Yeah, I did."

She grinned. "We're not done yet."

Eiji sighed. "Okay... What's next."

"Your reflexes have been heightened." She said.

"Now you have to gauge your strength and precision. Speed is no doubt, your best quality. We'll work less on that."

"So what's the lesson?" He asked.

She pulled out some hand made obsidian throwing knives.

"You'll be sparring with me. Since you're a blood master in training, I won't go easy..."

Eiji gulped. "Oh... That. Well, damn..."

"Please don't kill him!" Tira begged.

She slapped her palm to her face.

"Oh! For fuck sake! Would I kill you!?" She asked Eiji.

He shrugged. Then backed away slowly.

She sighed. "The faith you people have in me is deplorable... Come on, I won't kill you... But I might hurt you."

He kept his distance, but followed her.

She took him to an open spot.

She stood ten feet in front of him.

"Are you ready?" She asked.

"Aren't we supposed to bow?" He said.

She laughed. "Did you try that with the wolves too!? How did that work out?"

He sighed. "Okay I get the point. I'm read-"

A boomerang flew past him, and sliced his cheek.

"You weren't." She said. "Are you now."

He nodded, Keeping a closer eye on her now.

She cut him deep. Loki didn't play around, did she?

He pulled out his threads, and attempted to grab her.

She jumped, running on top of them.

"What the f-!"

She kicked him in the face, knocking him down. She placed his foot on top of his chest.

"Get up." She said.

He tried to, but her foot was still there.

"Get up." She repeated.

He tried to grab her foot, but it was solidly placed.

She stepped down. "You'll never beat me like that."

Was that a challenge!?

"I'LL SHOW YOU!" He yelled.

He moved, and tried to push her off.

She laughed. "Then SHOW ME!" She yelled.

"Or you're just waisting my time!"

"Now I'M GONNA HURT YOU!" He screamed.

Threads shot out of his chest, slamming her against a wall.

Now Eiji was serious.

He felt a slightly familiar feeling, as if from a dream.

Black wings plunged out of his back, and he let out a bloodlust cry.

She quickly dodged his threads.

"Second stage already!?" She exclaimed.

"Excellent! Now I know your the real deal!"

She flipped over him, and attempted a knife blow to the back of the head... Just enough to surprise him. Maybe...

That depended on him.

Threads shot out of the back of his head.

She felt blood magic rise as the threads latched onto her arm.

She had let them. If she hadn't, and if this were an enemy? He would have died instantly.

She used her mobile arm, and wrapped the threads around his throat... It was supposed to break him out of second state.

No. Loki had now witnessed a third stage. One that technically wasn't supposed to exist...

Threads exploded out of him, and she managed to release herself.

"Shit!" She exclaimed. "This needs to end, now."

Kahn and Kuhn ran up.

"What's going on!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"What stage is that!?" Kahn exclaimed.

"Stay BACK!" She yelled.

"Apparently there's a third stage."

She darted across his threads like a an agile humming bird.

She looked at him, and saw two arms.

His third stage was regenerative. Slowing him down would be no easy feat.

She weaved in and out of his threads, attempting blows to the body.

He grabbed her foot, and smacked her away, and into a cave wall.

She got up. "That's IT! NO MORE NICE LADY!"

She bounced off of the wall, and kicked a path through his threads. She gave him a good thrashing to the skull, knocking him out.

She looked at Kahn.

"Heal any injuries he may have sustained, because I'm gonna mess him up when he's awake!... Then heal him again. I can't train him if he's dead..."

She walked away.

"Holy shit... She's brutal." Said Kuhn.

Kahn began healing him.

"That she is."

...

Hiro was sitting with the Leviathan's. She hadn't been back to the Warrior's much since her father had died. She spent most of her time out here now... Grieving.

Talin stood, and began growling.

"The master..."

Hiro stopped. Did he just say what she thought he had said.

"Eiji!? Are you serious!?" She exclaimed.

They stood.

"The master..." They all said.

"He is alive... THE MASTER IS IN DANGER!"

They stood before Hiro.

"Mistress Hiro." Said Talin. "Come, and help us... We have your club, and some armor. It wI'll suit you well... We found him."

She put on the armor, and held her club.

"Can we return with him?" She asked.

"This is a one way path." Said Talin. "We may not return for a while."

Hiro nodded, and mounted Talin.

"Let's get to him then."

Talin opened the portal, and all hell broke loose.

...

I had finished healing Eiji, and stood as a portal opened and closed. A familiar screaming filled the room.

Hiro, and an army of 946 Leviathan's charged at Loki.

"H-Hiro!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

She looked over. "What!? DAD!"

Loki tackled her, holding a knife to her throat.

"Is she yours!?" She asked Kuhn.

Hiro shoved her off, and readied her club.

"Damn RIGHT I AM!" She yelled.

Oh lord... This wasn't going to be good.

...

"Back off of her guys, this one's mine!"

They backed off, and Hiro readied her club.

She slammed it to the ground, launching Loki in the air.

She landed perfectly, but a rock had slammed against her face, bruising it.

"You little BRAT!" She yelled, lunging at Hiro.

Kuhn stepped in front of Hiro, the obsidian knife lodged in his hand.

She stopped.

"And what exactly were you planning on doing..." Said Kuhn, his tone low.

She pulled out the knife. And stared at them coldly.

"You might want to keep her on a leash." She said.

Hiro lunged at her.

"You STUPID-!" Kuhn held her back.

"Hiro, SIT the HELL DOWN." He said.

She sat.

He sat in front of her.

"Hiro. You've crossed the line of dangerous... This is plain suicidal. What were you thinking!?"

She looked down. "I wasn't thinking..."

Tears streamed down her face.

"I just wanted to make sure Eiji was okay... I didn't know..."

She burst into tears.

"You died! You drowned! I thought you were really... Dammit..."

She continued to cry.

Kuhn hugged her. "I'm sorry..." He sobbed.

"I'm so sorry I left you! I just wanted to protect you..."

She sobbed violently. "I know th-that! You did... You always do."

He held her close, and cried.

"Hiro... Why would you come here? Promise me you won't go outside... It's dangerous, and more than anyone could manage."

She nodded. "Okay... I won't... I love you! Please don't leave me again!"

He stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head.

"Shhh... Never... I'm here... I'm here now..."

She had stopped crying, and leaned into him.

She just wanted to stay like this for a while... Just her dad and her...

"How's your mother doing...?" He asked softly.

She sighed. "She's a mess... Now I'm afraid, because I left, she'll get in one of her dangerous moods."

Kuhn stopped.

"Dangerous moods?"

She nodded. "Yeah... Ever since... Well, you know. She sometimes stops eating. The only ones who can make her eat are Junichi and I... She can't not eat, she's pregnant! I'm just... I'm so worried..."

She sniffed. "Junichi said the irrational behavior is a mixture of hormones, and loss... It's a bad mix."

Hiro smiled sadly. "Luckly Junichi can tell what she's craving most of the time. He waves it in front of her face, until she snaps, and eats."

Kuhn laughed softly. "Of course he does..."

"Master... MASTER!? WAKEY WAKEY!...Eggs and... Cake dumplings... French fries... Sushi... I'm hungry."

Hiro slapped her palm to her face.

She stood, and walked over to him.

"Black or white."

Eiji sat.

"WHITE! I keep saying I ALWAYS-!"

He froze.

"H-Hiro...?"

He looked around, and realized the full extent of this.

"What are you DOING HERE!?" He exclaimed.

"This is NOT where I wanted to find you!"

She sighed. "Where am I anyway?"

He looked down.

"Well, basically hell. If that doesn't spell it any clearer..."

Her eyes widened. "Really!? Holy... Really?"

He nodded. "Yeah, just be glad you weren't outside..."

"Eiji!" Yelled the woman from before.

Hiro stood. "Back off! I don't like you much..."

She laughed. "Well I don't care! I just saved your boyfriend's life, so you back off."

Eiji stood, and looked at her.

"Wh-What did I do!?"

She backhanded him.

"NEVER cast blood magic unless you're SURE it will hold! Were you an enemy, I would have KILLED YOU! EFFORTLESSLY!"

He grabbed his face. "Holy... Okay then... Ow."

Hiro thought back to his arms... The way they were bleeding.

She slapped him again, twice this time.

"And NEVER cast blood magic from SKULL THREADS! You IDIOT!"

"Ow!?" He exclaimed.

"I get the point... Sorry."

Hiro whapped him upside the head.

"That was because THAT was stupid."

She turned to Loki, and socked her in the face.

"And YOU! If you EVER hit Eiji again, I'LL PULVERIZE YOU!"

Loki stood.

"That's IT! COME HERE BRAT!"

Kahn held Loki back, and Kuhn held back Hiro.

"I'll give you this, you're strong..." Said Loki.

"But I'm watching you. You'll not hit hit me a second time... That much I promise."

Eiji gave a sigh of defeat.

"Why do I have the feeling that they'll never get along...?"


	48. Chapter 48

Chapter 48: Tira and Hiro

Tira had seen the whole outburst with this girl and Loki.

Who was she anyway, to charge at Loki like that!?

She walked by, and Tira set up an ice pack.

She gave Loki some mint oil with it.

Loki stared at her.

"Where did you get this...?"

She fiddled with her hands nervously.

"Um... I found some... Some mint leaves, and... Well, you showed me how to um... So I reduced enough of them to get some oil... It's not much though..."

Loki smiled. "No, thank you. This will help..."

Tira beamed. "If more people saw you like this? I'm sure they'd like you just as much as I do!"

She laughed. "Well, so what? Let them be! I'll be okay..." Her face fell.

"Run along now." She said softly. "I'm sure Kahn will be able to heal me now."

She smiled. "But I'll save the oil, you never know..."

Tira nodded. "Alright then."

She walked away.

That girl had no idea how nice Loki was! She was blunt to the extreme, true. That girl... Hiro. She had no right to threaten her.

She walked by angrily.

Tira softened. Eiji must like her for a reason... Maybe she should try talking to her?

"Hey... Um..."

She walked past her.

"Hey! Um, I was talking to you..."

Hiro stopped, and turned around.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" She exclaimed.

"I didn't hear you. You should speak up next time... So?"

She fidgeted nervously.

"Well... C-Can I say... Um..."

Hiro smiled. "You're so shy! Well...?"

"Um, about Loki... There's a lot you need to know before you hate her."

Hiro hardened. "Look, to be honest? You seem like a real sweetheart. I don't like Loki though... She's kind of a b-"

"DON'T FINISH THAT!" She yelled.

She began fidgeting again.

"Just... Just don't call her that. Please... She saved us all from up there."

She looked at Hiro dead on.

"Do you have any idea what it feels like to be eaten alive? To have been digested alive so many times, that you'd rather drown yourself in stomach acid then spend another second feeling the flesh peel off of your bones!?"

Hiro went pale.

"That's a fraction of the tortures one can experience, wandering THAT HELL! Loki has seen more than ANYONE! SHE SAVED US! And you... You just come waltzing in like you own the place! She cares about every single one of us here! She cares a lot about Eiji... A lot. That's why she's so hard on him, because she desperately wants him to live."

Her eyes teared up.

"Because one day soon, we're all going to die..."

Hiro froze.

"D-Die...?" She asked shakily.

"What do you MEAN DIE!?"

"Keep your voice down!" She whispered.

"If the others were to know, then they'd panic. None of us would have a chance... Loki knows that. She's doing the best she can... But the defenses are not what they used to be... I'm scared, but Loki promised it wouldn't be like the last one. Her and I were the only survivors that time..."

Hiro calmed. She looked at Tira.

"What's your name?" She asked.

"T-Tira..." She said.

"Tira, you must not know much about me or Eiji. My dad and Kahn too. No one's going to die... I promise."

She looked at Hiro hopefully.

She smiled. "I see why he likes you so much."

Hiro blushed. "Well... Thanks."

She looked over at the pond. There was a pool of water she considered a pond, and she looked at Hiro excitedly.

"Hey! Are you hot in here!? Cause I am!"

Hiro looked at her with confusion.

"Umm... Did you just hit on me?"

She went red.

"No! Is... Is th-that what you thought!"

Hiro laughed. "Oh! You meant the room temp! Okay!... Yeah, actually. It's scorching in here!"

Tira gestured toward the pool.

"Well? There's technically a swimming pool... See?"

She gestured to the pool of water.

Hiro practically jumped with excitement.

"Wow! That DOES look refreshing!" She stripped her shirt and pants off, and Tira was red.

"Hey... Um... Guys live here too."

Hiro waved her hand dismissively.

"Ahh, Don't worry about it! No one will see us!"

Tira looked away. "Well, I'm keeping mine on."

Hiro laughed. "Suit yourself!" She jumped in the water.

Tira smiled and jumped in with her.

They laughed.

"Wow, this is great!" Hiro exclaimed.

"I just want to soak in the coldness..."

"I know, right?" Said Tira. "I come here all the time!"

Some guys whistled.

"Damn! Look at the rack on her! Woohoo!"

"Hey!" Hiro yelled. "We're trying to SWIM HERE!"

They walked over.

"Well then... Can we join you fine ladies?"

Hiro glared at them. "No. It's obvious why you want to join, and it's not going to happen!"

They scoffed. "Damn, look at that uptight bitch!"

"Just shut up!" Tira yelled.

"You're all a bunch of pigs!"

One guy walked up to her.

He grabbed her chest.

"Damn! I think hers are bigger!"

Hiro grabbed his wrist, and bent it back.

She got dressed, and pounded his face into the ground.

The other guy shoved her off, and punched her.

Hiro stood, and punched him back.

"You're not a lady! You're just a dumb cow!"

Tira jumped out, and slammed him to the ground with her foot.

"She's NOT a COW!" She yelled.

She pressed her foot down on his chest, cracking some of his ribs.

"Now go tell your friends you just got owned by a twelve year old... If you have the balls."

She lifted her foot, and he ran off.

Hiro looked at her.

"You're pretty tough, I think I like you!"

She laughed. "Yeah, that will be the last time they mess with us!"

They both laughed.

They sat and talked for a while, then Eiji walked up.

"Hey Hiro! I... What happened to your face!?"

Hiro touched the spot where she was punched, her eye had blackened.

"Oh! These stupid guys!" Tira exclaimed.

"We gave them a good pounding! They tried to grope me, can you believe it!? Then Hiro messed him up! Then the other guy punched her in the face. She punched him back... Then he called her a 'dumb cow' so I was like... Oh hell no! I beat the crap out of him! Don't you worry!"

Eiji looked dark. "Where is he."

Tira pointed. "Him and his friends ran over there like wet kittens! You show 'em Eiji!"

He walked away to go find them.

"Well..." Hiro sighed.

"Now he's pissed."

...

Eiji walked up to the guys with all of the bruises.

"Yeah... And that bitch punched me back! What a dumb whore!"

They laughed.

Eiji punched him, knocking him on the ground.

"That's nice. Can I punch you too?"

Eiji started kicking him on the ground.

His friends surrounded him.

"Well, aren't you a tough guy... Ya little shrimp!"

Loki entered the circle.

"That's right, he is... And so am I. You may want to rethink this, and play nice..."

She looked at him. "You too Eiji."

Eiji glared. "But these guys were messing with Hiro..."

Loki sighed. "Was she messing with them?"

"Yeah!" Yelled a guy.

"Punched Sorin right in the face!"

Eiji scoffed. "That's because he got grabby with Tira, you idiots..."

Loki stopped, and looked at Sorin, who was holding his face.

"Stand up WORM!" She yelled.

He stumbled up, and she slammed him against a wall.

"If I so much as sense this from you again... I will hurt you. This is nothing."

She let go, and walked away.

Kuhn ran up to Eiji.

"Eiji!? Did you just get in a fight!?"

Eiji nodded. "Yeah, because he was messing with Tira, and Hiro. Loki handled it."

Kuhn stopped, and looked at Sorin.

He walked up to him. "Hi, I'm Hiro's Father. You're lucky that she got to you first..."

He walked back to Eiji, and nodded.

"Fair enough Eiji."

They walked away.

Eiji sighed. "Yeah... I got pretty mad. Hiro's eye was all bruised, and she said she punched him back... I think I believe her."

Kuhn shook his head. "I do. Did you see his face?"

Eiji nodded. "Yeah I did! She's so awesome..."

Kuhn looked. "Yeah she is, and no making out with my daughter, by the way."

Eiji turned red. "Oh... That."

"Yeah, that. It shouldn't happen." Kuhn said flatly.

Eiji sighed, and said nothing. He couldn't make any promises...


	49. Chapter 49

Chapter 49: Eiji's Dream

Eiji had fallen asleep for the night. He had been dreaming of the Warrior's, which had become home to him.

His dream shifted into Hiro.

She was standing there in front of him... She was...

Oh wow... She had really nice...

Eiji felt his face grow hot, among other things.

She walked up to him, and pushed him against the wall. Tearing off his shirt.

Her face was close to his.

"Eiji..." She whispered.

"I need you... Eiji..."

He reached out to pull her in and kiss her, and she turned into a spider.

Eiji jumped away.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed.

"What the hell just happened!?"

The spider had a female face, and a seductive, yet maniacal laugh.

"Young boys are so easy to mess with! They are just delicious!"

She turned back into Hiro, holding a finger to his chin.

"I can stay like this if you want..." She said. Her voice was like silk.

Eiji looked away from her eyes. She was trying to enchant him.

"I never thought I'd meet a succubus." He said coldly.

"Then again, I'm in the right place for it..."

She laughed softly. "No need to be so hardened..." She whispered, nibbling at his ear.

She grabbed him lower. "Oh... But you are..."

She continued to nibble at his ear in Hiro's body... He tilted his head back.

He gave a soft moan.

"God... That feels..."

He realized what she was doing.

 _Quick Eiji! Think of something..._

 _(But... No. Why not? She looks like Hiro...)_

 _Think of something that will completely shut this down... Come on!_

 _(She's reaching down... Oh god...)_

 _No! I can't let her take me! She's a succubus, and she will kill me!_

 _Okay think._

 _Think!_

 _Karma sutra, and Shisuta..._

 _No! Gross!_

 _Okay, let the thought expand..._

 _Karo and Shisuta..._

 _Karma sutra..._

 _Mom and dad, and the Karma sutra..._

 _Mom and dad doing..._

 _No! NO! NO! BRAIN BLEEEAACCCH!_

He shoved her off. "Stop it! You aren't Hiro!"

She lunged at him.

"I thought I could have some fun!" She screamed. She was a succubus again.

She grinned. "Oh well... I'm sure I'll enjoy killing you to..."

She was about to suck out his soul, when a blast of magic shot her.

She shriveled up, and died...

"Ew..." He said. "I can't believe I almost..."

He shook his head. "Never mind."

He heard a familiar voice laughing.

"Yes, they can be quite troublesome those ones..." Said Zeniba.

He turned deep red. "H-How long were you STANDING THERE!?"

He looked away. "Long enough."

 _Oh no! No! NO NO NO!_

 _BRAAAINN BLEEEAAACCCH!_

 _INFINITE BRAIN BLEACH!_

 _Nooooooo! NOOOOOO!_

"So... You're alive." He said. He was still red.

She nodded slowly, her face was solemn.

"Yes, and were it not for your actions with the embodied corpse of mine, I would have never been freed."

A little girl stepped forward.

"Me too." She said.

It was Ami.

"You see..." Zeniba began.

When you had dropped us, blood magic still flowing... It caused the seal on us to break. Our energies had been broken up, and mangled into fighting corpses. The same went for all of the children in the maze, who upon death, are supposedly erased."

Zeniba shook her head.

"No one can be truly erased, simply changed. The breaking of that seal allowed me to go back into my spiritual form, and help this girl as well."

Eiji looked down darkly.

"So they tried to erase you too..."

She nodded. "And technically they did... Eiji, this hatred you foster. Stop."

He looked up at her.

"It will only end in your demise." She said.

"This hate is what they will feed off of, using it's power to destroy you and those closest to you..."

He stopped.

Had he really been so consumed by that?

"Now there's two people here that need to see you." She said.

"I am acting as a bridge for them..."

The room disappeared, and Eiji was in a white room.

His parents were there.

Chihiro and Haku ran to him, wrapping him in a hug.

"Are you okay!?" She sobbed. "What happened!?"

Haku cried.

"Eiji... I'm sorry I can't be there with you! What's going on?"

Eiji didn't want to worry them, or make them feel any worse...

...But he desperately wanted to break down, and tell them everything.

He teared up, and looked away.

"Where are you?" Chihiro asked him.

Tears spilled from his eyes. He was silent...

"What's wrong?" Haku asked, holding Eiji tighter.

"Tell me where you are."

He sobbed and shook his head.

"You don't want to know..." He whispered tearfully.

Haku sighed. He didn't like doing this, but he needed to know if Eiji was safe.

"Look at me." He said.

He even put some magic in this voice, knowing Eiji might not fall for that.

Eiji looked at him, and his eyes focused.

"Where are you?" He asked.

"In hell, or the abyss." He said blankly.

"Loki said it was the lowest plain."

"Who is Loki?" He asked.

"She's a woman that is also here." Said Eiji. "I think she was human... She saved me from dying. She cut my arm off, because it was poisoned with some incurable venom. It grew back, because of this strange power... A third stage... But Loki said it shouldn't exist."

"Third stage? Elaborate." Said Haku.

"There are usually two stages." He began.

"Stage one is easily accomplished with threads. Stage two is met with an ability, either flight, or super strength... Telekinesis happens too, but it is uncommon. A third stage shouldn't happen, but mine allows me to regenerate my limbs, and any wounds I may suffer then..."

Haku nodded.

Chihiro sighed. "Where are you now? Are you safe?"

Eiji nodded slowly. "Yes. I am in Loki's safe Haven."

"What happened before that?" Asked Haku.

Tears spilled out of his eyes.

"I fell, and I woke up... My leg was broken. The ground was so hot, it burned my side, and melted my shoes to my feet... I ran to this cave, and I thought..."

He sobbed. "I thought it would be cooler."

Haku went pale.

"The cave closed, and it became very hot... Like an oven..."

Chihiro was shaking at the thought of Eiji being cooked alive.

"I woke up again, and my leg was still broken... I was burned again. I stood still, and the ground swallowed me... Tearing me apart. I was chased by wolves, and eaten alive... Digested... I ran into an electric field, and my own flesh..."

"STOP!" Chihiro wailed.

Haku broke the spell at the same time.

He snapped back into consciousness.

"I TOLD YOU!" He screamed.

"But you just HAD TO PRY! DIDN'T YOU!?"

He sobbed. "Why do you always do things like that!? DAMMIT!"

Haku wrapped him in a hug.

"I'm sorry..." He sobbed. "You're right."

Eiji wailed into them, holding them close.

"I just... I just want to come back!" He sobbed.

"Please don't leave! I am so scared... I don't want to be stuck here anymore! Something's coming, and I can feel it! I just know... Something is going to happen! And I'll be stuck out there again! No... NO! NOT AGAIN!"

He held onto them.

"I feel so small here... Just small..."

Chihiro sobbed. "We'll stay as long as we can! I promise!"

He leaned into them.

"I miss you..." He said softly.

"I really miss you..."

"We know..." Said Haku.

"We miss you too... We love you very much... It's alright... We're still here. Try to calm down... Just relax..."

Eiji felt himself relax, and feel comforted.

"That's it..." He said.

"Just relax... I'm here... Your mom is here. We've got you..."

He closed his eyes, and breathed softly...

He just leaned into them... It was warm, and nice...

"Sorry." Said Zeniba urgently.

"He needs to wake up. Now."

"What's going on!?" Eiji and Haku asked in sync.

Zeniba walked up to Eiji.

"Sorry Haku, but you do not want to know."

She pressed a finger to Eiji's forehead.

He woke up.

He was in second stage, and completely conscious of his actions.

He looked around, and saw these gargoyles swarm him.

He shot out his wires, destroying two of them.

Loki ran up to him.

She threw four obsidian knives, killing the others that had swarmed him.

"Are you alright!?" She exclaimed.

He nodded. "I'm fine, but where are the others."

Loki looked away. "I don't know. They were fighting, and-!"

Another swarm. This time there were eight.

One lunged at Loki, and Eiji got him with his threads.

Two tried to get him from behind, and Loki pierced them both with one knife.

She jumped on the backs of the rest of them, killing them with speed, precision, and brutal strength.

She collected her knives.

"I think most of them are over there, fighting." She said, pointing to a separate part of the cavern.

"That's where the rooms are, and where the attack started."

Eiji was suddenly grateful for his shabby sleeping bag on the hard ground, because of a lack of rooms.

He froze.

"Hiro and the others are in there!" He yelled.

"We have to help them."

Loki nodded. "Right. Remember your training. Reflexes are important in blood mastery... Also? No blood magic in skull threads! This time, it WILL kill you."

Eiji nodded. "Understood. Let's go!"

They ran in, and were faced with a plethora of gargoyles.

Kahn, Kuhn, Hiro, and Tira were all still alive. The rest were statues.

Eiji made a shield with his threads, protecting everyone including Loki.

"How is everyone holding up!?" He exclaimed.

"Still alive!" Said Tira. "But there seems to be no end to them!"

Loki did what she always did when she was stuck.

She pulled out her blue pearl, and stared at it.

It's a stone she had found a long time ago, and it offered wisdom in times of need...

In moments of scrying, it gave her peace, and knowledge of other realms.

...

I looked at Loki, and she held a blue stone...

A stone! Was it THAT STONE!?

"What stone is that!?" I yelled.

"I need to know!"

She looked at me. "It's magical, and provides wisdom!" She exclaimed.

"It could help us!"

It was the dreamstone.

"It WILL help us!" I exclaimed.

I grabbed the stone, and merged it with the amulet.

"That's the dreamstone, isn't it!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"Not anymore!" I said. "Now it's a dream amulet."

I held out the amulet, and my hands.

"Eiji, you need to release your threads, and grab the amulet. When he does this, everyone grab onto wither him, or me! Got it!?"

They nodded.

Eiji hesitated for a moment.

"Are you sure this will work?"

I sighed. "No. But if it doesn't? We'll all die. Any questions?"

Eiji looked ahead. "Nope, I just hope we don't die."

He released the threads, and grabbed the amulet.

Everyone grabbed on as the gargoyles lunged at us.

 _Warrior's warrior's warrior's WARRIOR'S!_

 _...Did we die yet?_

I opened my eyes.

"We did it..."

The rest opened their eyes.

"We DID IT!" I yelled.

"AND we have the DREAMSTONE AMULET!"

They cheered.

The residents had ran down, and saw them.

They began cheering loudly.

"They're ALIVE!" One cheered.

"YEAH!" Cheered the others.

Linn ran down the stairs.

She almost tripped, when Kuhn had caught her.

"Be careful!" He exclaimed. "You should really-!"

She punched him.

"THAT was for BEING A STUPID IDIOT WHO DIED AND LEFT ME DAMN YOU!"

She pulled him up by his collar, and kissed him.

"And thank you for catching me. You were always such a gentleman..."

Kuhn hugged her. "I love you..." He said softly.

She began crying. "I love you too! You stupid idiot!"

She hit his chest.

"Stupid! I missed you!"

He kissed her softly, his eyes spilling with tears.

"I missed you Linn... How are you coming along?"

She sobbed. "Good! It's triplets by the way... Yeah... All girls."

The crowd laughed.

Mei looked at Eiji. Her eyes widened.

"You're alive!" She exclaimed.

"Haku! Chihiro! Come here!"

They were already on their way down.

They ran up to him, and hugged him tightly.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" Haku exclaimed.

Chihiro squoze him tightly.

"You made it! I love you!"

He was suffocating.

"Guys! I can't breeeaathh...!" He choked.

They loosened up.

"Sorry..." Chihiro sniffed.

"I was just so worried!"

He smiled. "You should have seen it, it was insane!"

Mei hugged him.

"Hey tough guy." She said.

She teared up. "I'm glad you're okay..."

"I love this place!" Said a man.

"Everyone is so amazing, and the service? To die for!"

He looked at Kuhn and Linn.

"I'm a hotel and resort critic. I also work with small businesses." He said.

"And when all of this is over, I'll get this place up and running. The Warrior's Respite! How fitting, and WHAT an honor!"

The entire crowd cheered.

Linn smiled. "Hear that? Looks like this place is saved after all!"

I smiled. "Yes, and all of this will be over sooner than you think. The amulet and the dreamstone have been merged."

Linn gaped. "Really!?"

"Yeah!" Said Hiro. "Isn't it AWESOME!?"

Linn walked up to Hiro.

"Where were you." She said.

"Oh yeah..." Said Hiro nervously. "That..."

"And what on earth happened to your EYE!?"

I looked at her. "Oh, I forgot to heal that... Sorry. Gargoyles and all..."

Linn fumed as Hiro and Tira explained what happened.

I looked over at Loki... She looked... Almost dead.

Her face was blank, and though there were no tears, you could see pain in her eyes...

Here we were celebrating, while she was suffering.

She had to be taking this hard...


	50. Chapter 50

****Woohoo! Fifty chapters! This one is decidedly longer than the last one... Well, to celebrate fifty chapters, I have an awesome chapter. It will be glorious!**

 **AND THERE WILL BE LAUGHTER!**

 **If that didn't foreshadow this enough... Well...**

 **Enjoy Chapter 50! :D****

Chapter 50: One Piñata, Two Piñata, Three Piñata, Leviathan!

Fred was running around gleefully.

He had broken out of his stone shell three times now. Talin had broken out of his five times.

"Again! AGAIN!" He screamed.

"Let the joyus activities rain upon US ALL!"

A woman's voice filled the room.

"What!? You shouldn't be ENJOYING THIS!? You should be frozen in ETERNAL TORMENT!"

Fred laughed. "Look, it's ME! IT'S ME!"

Fred waved around a hollow statue of himself.

"I WANT ONE!" Yelled Talin.

"OOOH OOOH! ME FOUR!" Max screamed, holding up Winston's hand.

"You're ALIVE!?" Talin Screamed.

"HE'S ALIVE!" They screamed.

"SO AM I!" Winston exclaimed.

"HOORAY!" They cheered.

They were frozen again, and released themselves through small holes.

"LOOK AT ME!" They screamed.

They burst out into laughter.

"What is wrong with YOU!?" She screamed.

"SHADDUP!" Max yelled. "Where's the FOOD!? THIS PARTY SUCKS!"

They growled at the priestess.

"It's not a party!" She yelled.

"You're in Hell. HELL I SAY! BE MORE IN PAIN!"

"Then why the Piñata's?" Asked Talin tearfully.

"You lied to us...!?" Fred cried.

"We should eat her..." Max sniffed.

They burst into tears.

She sighed. "Get out. You've all annoyed me. You can leave."

She opened a portal into purgatory.

"NO!" Talin yelled. "Make me more PIÑATA'S! Fred has more than I do! It's not FAIR!"

You could hear her face palm.

"You know what!? Forget it. Take the statues, and go. You all piss me off, and I can't kill you."

They ran out with the statues, and the portal closed.

"Should we open them?" Asked max.

"I don't see why not..." Said Winston.

Fred ran around in a frenzy, breaking open statues.

A portal opened above them, and more fell on their heads.

"That's because I HATE YOU!" She screamed.

The portal closed.

Fred laughed with joy.

"BEST DAY EVER!"

"HUZZA!" They screamed.

Max rubbed his head.

"Can I make her into a pie...? Please."

Talin laughed. "We'll ask the Master and Mistress later."

They all cheered as Fred and Winston broke open statues.

"Fred! Winston! Winston Fred! FRED WINSTON! WINSTON FRED!"

The statues had all been broken, and they cheered.

"They LIVE! LIVING SURPRISE!"

"SURPRISE!" Max screamed.

They stared at him.

He looked down. "No...?"

"Alive." Said Talin flatly.

"Oh!" Max exclaimed.

"IT'S ALIVE!" He screamed.

"ALIVE!" They preached.

"What the hell!?" A man exclaimed.

"Who are you guys!? What the...? Wow... No words. Just none."

They were all standing on their heads.

"This feels weird!" Fred exclaimed.

They laughed.

"I've NEVER laughed on my head!" Winston yelled.

"NEVER!?" They gaped.

"NEVER!" He screamed.

"Then we shouldn't..." Said Talin tearfully.

"Poor Winston! HE'S SO DEPRIVED!"

They burst into tears.

"What the hell..." Said a boy.

"I am so confused..."

The man sighed. "Don't worry Tojin, you're not the only one..."

He stopped.

The man was paralyzed in a look of fear.

"Katsu... What's wrong?" Tojin asked.

"Why do you look so scared suddenly. We're free!"

"Where's Loki?" He asked.

"You know Loki!?" Asked another.

The six past Havens discussed their experiences with each other. After they had put the pieces together, they all felt a heavy sorrow.

"So all this time she had lost so much..." Said a woman tearfully.

Katsu bit back tears. "Damn... And here I was. I had no idea..."

Katsu remembered when he had frozen, shielding Loki in her sleep...

He hadn't known that she had suffered so much because of it.

The Leviathan's were staring at them. They were taking notes...

"Well, continue..." Said Fred.

"Yeah..." Max sniffed. "This is so romantic... So TRAGIC! TRAGEDY! ROMAGEDY!"

They looked at Max in awe, then cheered.

"ROMAGEDY!"

"Tromance...?" Winston suggested.

"That too..." Said Talin.

Katsu face palmed.

"Oh my GOD! Just... GOD! are you sure we're free!?" He exclaimed.

Tojin nodded. "Pretty sure anyway."

Katsu sighed. "Well then... Sorin right? You said that Loki was with some new powerful friends, right?"

Sorin nodded. "Yeah, that's right. They probably made it out, not sure if it's here though..."

He looked down. "Damn... I really messed up before the end. I think I owe those girls and everyone an apology."

One of his friends sighed.

"We all fuck up dude... Just own it."

Katsu looked around. "Yeah... I don't recognize this place at all. I hope she's alright..."

A lot of time had passed since they had been together.

To Katsu it had only been ten years... But to Loki? A century.

He was scared that she had moved on, but also, he almost prayed that she did.

All of this hurt... He felt responsible.

His torment was nothing in comparison to hers...

He just hoped that she had found some form of happiness.

...

It was the dead of night, and Haku was still awake.

He lied awake, and sighed.

He was happy...

He heard the front door open.

He sat.

"Now who could that be...?" He said softly.

He stood quietly, so he wouldn't wake Chihiro.

He went to the front door, and saw that it had been left open. Footsteps trailed outside...

He followed them swiftly and quietly.

He saw Loki...

She had climbed a giant tree, and was standing on top of it.

She leaned forward.

Haku jumped up the branches, and caught her before she could slam into any on the way down.

She looked at him.

"Let go." She said softly.

Haku shook his head.

"No. Tell me, why did you just try to end your life."

She laughed bitterly. "What life? I have no family. No purpose... Who am I then?"

Haku looked at her for a moment.

"I know you..." He said. "I know you from somewhere..."

He thought for a moment.

His eyes widened.

"You're THAT Loki! A little girl that used to sit by my river! Your mother..."

Loki stared at him in awe.

"A river spirit. You were that river I lived by... It was so calming, and peaceful."

"Yes, the Kohaku River." He said. "But most just call me Haku."

He looked at her.

"Loki, there's something you need to know." He said, his tone serious.

"I saw what your mother had done to you. I whispered it to your father in a dream... He went looking for you, and it is believed that he scoured every inch of the lower plains looking for you..."

She froze.

"F...Father... Did that?" She asked.

"What of mother." She said bitterly.

"I drowned her." He said darkly.

"Anyone willing to sacrifice their own child for riches deserves to die. The woman was greedy... And earned her fate."

She looked at him. Her eyes were filled with tears.

"What happened to him?" She asked.

Haku looked down. "I don't know." He lied.

He knew the truth would kill her.

Her father had died looking for her, freezing solid into a hopeless statue... One that can never be saved. Only the heavens had such power, and they had proven false.

She sighed sadly.

"Maybe one day then..." She mused.

She stood.

"I should be getting back. I don't want Tira to worry..."

She looked down. What was she thinking!? Such an action would have devastated her!

She hugged Haku. "Thank you." She said.

"You saved more then one life tonight."

"IT'S ALIVE!" Max yelled.

Loki turned.

"Oh my GOD! Not you FOOLS-!"

She stopped.

"K-Katsu...?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yeah... How are you?" He asked.

She ran up to him, and hugged him.

"Like SHIT!" She sobbed.

"You...?"

He kissed her.

"Been better. Been a lot worse..."

She cried into him.

"HORRAY!" Cheered the Leviathan's.

"Shut UP! YOU DAMN FOOLS!" Katsu yelled.

"Sshhhh!" Max hissed.

"It's a ROMAGEDY. It requires dramatic pauses..."

They were all silent.

Haku held the bridge of his nose.

"Newcomers? These are Leviathan's. They are insane. Leviathan's? Newcomers... There, now that there have been introductions..."

He waved the Leviathan's off.

"Go back to the gardens... You can play tomorrow."

Max finished writing. "THE END!" He screamed.

"I will call it... Thorns of fate! A ROMAGEDY!"

They burst into tears and ran away.

Loki's eye was twitching.

"I could kill them..."

Haku shook his head. "Trust me... I know the feeling."

He looked back at the Warrior's.

"I don't think there will be enough rooms." Said Haku nervously.

The Leviathan's ran back.

"What!? NO ROOMS!?" Fred screamed.

"WHAT DO WE DO!? IT CAN'T END LIKE THIS!" Max screamed in utter horror... His Romagedy at stake.

"We should build a castle." Said Winston.

"Yes! YES!" Max exclaimed.

"But WHAT will we NAME IT!?"

"The Palace of Thorns." Said Talin.

"That was beautiful..." Max sniffed.

They cheered, and began summoning stone.

Everyone gaped in awe as a glorious castle was built in a matter of five minutes.

"Where did you get ALL of THAT!?" Haku exclaimed.

They looked to the side.

"The Bermuda Triangle... Duh." Said Fred.

Haku gaped. "Are you serious!?"

"Yeah!" Max laughed.

"Wanna see my plane? It has a GINGER SKELETON IN IT!"

Haku's eye twitched.

"I'm not even going to ask..."

Well, rooms were taken care of.

Haku gave a sigh of defeat.

"I'm going to have to explain a LOT in the morning..."


	51. Chapter 51

Chapter 51: Unspoken Rules

I was laying in my bed again.

I didn't notice this as much when I was grieving over Eiji and my brother, but this smell...

It still lingered on all of the blankets. The smell of Lavender, which was the most prominent in her hair. I held them, and let a sadness wash over me. These were our covers... It wasn't her. It would never be her I wake up to, but myself.

Alone.

I knew I wasn't completely alone. But here? I was lonely...

 _I miss you._

 _I know that everyone else is fine. No one else there really cared about you like I did._

 _In fact? They didn't kill you only because I was in love with you..._

 _I'm still in love with you._

 _I just wish I could hold you... And warm you on colder nights. If my hands were just able to touch you... Hold you._

My eyes filled with tears.

"Can you hear me...?" I whispered.

"I miss you... I need you. Where are you love? I hope it's warm..."

"Here..." Whispered a familiar voice.

A voice that dragged me into sleep.

I opened my eyes, and saw her. We were in that tent where she had shown me the armor.

I reached out my hand, and grabbed hers. It was soft, and it felt like as if she were here.

I wrapped her in a hug.

"Where are you love?" I asked tearfully.

She sighed. "Just wandering..." She said.q

"It's really not so bad. This way at least I can see you..."

She kissed me softly. "I miss you too." She said. She was crying.

Tears spilled from my eyes, and I kissed her.

"I wish I could wake up with you every morning, like we used to..."

She smiled. "Sometimes waking up was fun too. You made sure of that..."

I grinned. "Well, I wasn't the only one who knew what I was doing."

She leaned in, pushing against a tent wall. She nibbled my ear, teasing it with my tongue. Biting my neck, and I hardly noticed when she removed my shirt.

She grabbed me lower, her hands sliding.

"Shall we take this where we left off...?" She whispered.

She nipped my ear again... And pulled.

I let out a low moan.

I held her against the wall.

"Now, now..." I said softly.

"Don't get too carried away."

I undressed her, and carried her to the cot in the tent. It was small, but comfortable.

She let out softer moans. My hands were low and sliding in, my lips brushing against her chest.

She jolted, giving a louder moan.

"You like this...?" I whispered.

My other hand grabbing her chest. My tongue teasing her earlobe, biting it softly.

She flipped me over, and bound my hands to the cot.

She trailed kisses up my chest, then a soft and lingering kiss on the lips.

"Now, now..." She whispered.

"Wouldn't want you pulling what you did the first time... You're going to be a little tied up, is that alright?"

She slipped a blindfold on me.

"Oh... I see how it is..." I said, a grin playing on my lips.

She trailed kisses down my chest... Then lower.

I jolted slightly. Not being able to see her lended to more... Surprises.

The slight restraining was also a turn on.

She was on top of me, our bodies pressed together.

I jolted, and let out a pleasured moan as she trailed soft kisses and bites on my neck.

I could feel that my lips were close to her skin. I smiled, and gave her a soft bite.

Both of our bodies filled with bliss, and my body relaxed.

She was still on top of me.

She removed the blindfold, and gave me a soft kiss.

I kissed her back, feeling the warmth of her smile.

She lied down beside me, and untied my bonds. She sighed, and her expression became sorrowful.

"What's the matter?" I asked softly.

I pulled her in. "You look so sad... What's wrong...?"

She sobbed. "Don't do it! Don't use the amulet to siege the heavens!"

I looked at her. "Isn't that what you wanted?"

She cried. "It's not what you think... Hell, it's not even what I thought! I thought if I died, then you would be the rightful ruler. I didn't mean to die so soon... But..."

I stared at her. "I would have never wanted that if I had known!" I exclaimed.

"That's why I didn't tell you..." She sniffed.

"You deserve that... Well, I guess it doesn't matter now."

I grabbed her shoulders. "What doesn't matter!?" I asked frantically.

She sobbed violently. "I can't tell you! They will find me, and kill me! But... I will tell you. Don't do it... Please."

I shook my head. "It is a tyranny, isn't it?"

She nodded. "Yes. But-!"

"Then I have to!" I exclaimed.

"I cannot sit idly by and let more lives suffer because I don't want to die..."

"I don't want you to die!" She cried.

"It's a permanent death! Don't you understand!? Worry about yourself more Kahn! Not even about me, just you! If you want? I'll tell you what would get me killed to protect you! Just don't die..."

She cried into me.

"You were the only one I could see ruling all of this... You're kind, and you never judged me, but loved me. A monster... Someone like you should live another day."

I sobbed. "No! Don't say that! You are wonderful, and you're not a monster! You are misunderstood, and cast aside, and abused... And no, I don't agree with all of your choices, but I understand why... I know you didn't care about everyone else... It was wrong, but I will never hold it against you. I wanted to show you what that meant to build bonds. Not just with me..."

I looked at her.

"Nina, know this. When you love someone, you must protect not only them, but those they hold dear. My brother, who I grew up with. His wife and daughter, who are dear to him. Shisuta, like me, has seen many hardships. This is how we bonded. Her lover Karo, and his sister... Which are held dear to them. All of this matters when you love someone. You don't necessarily have to love those you protect, but the reason you protect them, is for someone you love."

I kissed her.

"I know you love me, because you are always willing to put me past yourself... And I love you all the same. Always... You may not fully understand what I have told you right now... Think about it though... Promise?"

She looked down, and tears spilled from her eyes.

She kissed me. "I promise..."

I held her in my arms for a while longer, feeling how warm she was, and breathing in her scent.

I could have been like this forever... Just holding her.

But eventually? Everyone wakes up.


	52. Chapter 52

Chapter 52: Imprinting

Hiro had slept in this morning. She yawned and stretched as she woke up.

"God... I'm so tired..." She mumbled.

She sat up, and went downstairs and into the dining hall.

Linn and the business man from yesterday were talking.

"I'm telling you!" He said. "Those Leviathan's are quite the investment. Put them to work at building things, and you've got your future made! I mean, look at the size of that... That fortress!"

Linn sighed. "That would be true, but do you really think you could get them to work?"

He looked down. "Hmm..."

I walked in. "You guys, they won't work if you tell them to. They're like five year old kids."

I grinned. "Make it a game or competition, then you'll get their attention."

The man looked at Hiro.

He held out his hand. "My name is Satoshi Hajime."

She shook his hand. "Hiro Usagi. Nice to meet you."

"How much do you know about these Leviathan's?"

Hiro laughed. "Well I lived with them long enough to know that they can do WAY more than build."

Her face became serious.

"You would limit them by simply working them as builders. They can cook amazing food, smith the finest weapons and armor, Summon anything you can imagine, are amazing interior designers, hold technology in the palm of their hands, and yes. They can build. They are also empathetic, and mentally unstable. You might not want to provoke them..."

Satoshi looked at her. "Well, I take it you know how to get them to listen?"

She nodded. "They'll listen to me. But I won't order them around, of all you have them do is build. Come up with more, and we'll talk."

He sighed. "Alright, have it your way."

We walked off.

Linn sighed. "Hiro, are you trying to scare him?"

She looked at her mother.

"Mom, he's stupid. He shouldn't go near the Leviathan's, let alone boss them around..."

Linn shook her head. "Well, you know them better than I do."

"He said something about a... Wait. The Leviathan's! They didn't come back with us! How are they!?... Oh never mind... Where's the fortress?"

Linn pointed at the front door.

"Walk outside."

She did. She gaped at the humongous Palace they had constructed.

"Holy Damn... That IS big."

She walked over to the Leviathan's.

"Hey guy? What are you up too? And why..."

Hiro looked around, and noticed two things she didn't expect.

The first was that this palace was crawling with people.

The second? Max. She recognized the Leviathan's separate from each other and Max was special to her. She could spot him from a mile away.

The silliest and most friendly of all the Leviathan's. He still had that signature tattooed on his claw.

He looked over at her. "A MISTRESS!" He screamed.

Hiro ran up to him, and hugged him.

"Why do you always get so carried away!" She sobbed.

"I thought you were dead."

"I wouldn't want you to be lonely Hiro..." He said.

"I'm sorry."

That was the first time he had referred to her as just Hiro. No title attached...

He had also apologized to her, which was out of character in Leviathan culture. Though Max was the most sensitive, and if anyone were to do that. It would be him.

The other Leviathan's stopped.

"Max, you forgot to say Mistress..." Said Fred.

"I think he has imprinted on Mistress Hiro." Said Talin.

Winston gaped. "He's LEAVING US!?"

They all cried.

Winston walked up to me bawling. "Take good care of him Mistress... MAX IS SO COOL!"

Max smiled at him. "Don't worry Winston... You're still awesome."

Hiro thought for a moment. What happens when a Leviathan imprints on you?

Hiro walked to the castle. "What is this place anyway?" She asked.

"The Palace of Thorns! MY MASTERPIECE! TALIN NAMED IT! TALIN DID!"

"IT WAS TALIN!" They screamed, pointing at Talin.

He waved. "ME!"

Hiro looked around. "I wonder if Eiji's up yet... Maybe I should find him."

Hiro walked away from the Leviathan's. She looked behind her, and Max was still following her.

"Max? Don't you want to go back and stay with your friends?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. I AM YOUR BUDDY NOW!"

 _(I am your sole protector and guardian. From now on I will be your follower. This means I will be able to find you if we become separate, and locate you through mental communication...)_

"Why me?" She asked.

"WHY NOT!" He laughed.

 _(Why did you become friends with Master Eiji? Was there some grand scheme to it? No. I just want to fight by your side, and I hate seeing you so lonely... This will help me be a better friend.)_

Hiro thought for a moment.

 _There's more to what they say than just insane ramblings. To some extent? I know this. It must be so frustrating not being able to speak your mind..._

 _(It can be... But I always knew you tried. Some of it really is just fun you know!)_

She laughed. "That I don't doubt!"

"What's up Hiro?" Eiji asked. "What are you two talking about?"

"BUDDY THINGS! And CAKE!" He screamed.

 _(We were just talking about imprinting... I'm really hungry. I mean REALLY. Leviathan's need souls to build strength. Normal food IS delicious, but it won't make me any stronger, or less hungry.)_

Hiro blinked. "Huh... Well, Max has imprinted on me, and now I can hear his... Translations? If that makes any sense. He said that we were talking about imprinting, and that he's hungry."

She looked at Eiji. "Apparently when they scream out foods, it's because they're starving. He said that normal food tastes good, but he needs souls to fill him up."

Eiji looked down. "I never knew that. I always they just liked to eat... Souls? They need souls?"

"Mmmm! NOM NOM on THE PRIESTESSE'S FACE!"

 _(A good soul would be the Priestess. She is still alive, and is very dangerous. She may be angry about the party we had... I fear she may become a problem if she isn't disposed of.)_

"Did he just say something about a Priestess!? " Eiji exclaimed.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah. She's still alive, and Max thinks that she's trouble. He wants her soul specifically. You said she was angry about your party?"

"Yes! Many MANY PIÑATA'S... But sadly no snacks."

 _(Yes. We made a game out of how many statues it would take to piss off the Priestess. It was funny! The gargoyles would freeze us, and we'd cut holes in the statues and free ourselves. Look at the back yard of the palace, and You'll see three of mine! Some of us tried to eat the gargoyles as a source of energy, and they didn't have souls. The Priestess was angered, but I regret that now... I really wish that she would have shown herself. I would have swallowed her there.)_

"Oh no! Why did you HAVE to piss her off!? She's still alive, and if she's mad? That just isn't a good thing..."

Eiji sighed. "Really? They made her mad!? And she's not dead. Do you think she's the vengeful kind?"

"Yes she is."

 _(Yes she is.)_

"Well that was pretty straight forward." Hiro said.

"OOOH! OOOH! THE SURPRISE PIÑATA'S! IT'S ALIIIIVE!... And I wrote a Romagedy... So you know."

 _(There were other statues. There were people trapped inside. All of them lived, and were connected to this Loki woman. She had been separated from her lover Katsu... It was so touching! I had to write a novel. It was a tragic romance with a twist ending! I may have gotten carried away with some of the characters, but it's well written...)_

Hiro looked over at the palace.

"Is THAT why you built the castle!? To house unfrozen statues!?"

Max nodded.

"They unfroze the statues!?" Eiji exclaimed.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, and from what it sounds like, all of Loki's friends from the other Havens too. Tira mentioned that there were other ones..."

Eiji sighed. "I don't know how I feel about the priestess being alive..." He said.

"What if she DOES attack? What then? Hiro, if she's not dead, then she has portals in the palm of her hand. She could destroy us."

Hiro held his hands.

"Eiji... We have the dreamstone amulet now. That will help us a lot... Don't worry so much. If you spend time like this worrying? You'll go insane..."

He kissed her softly. "I know... I just..."

She kissed him. "Don't say worry. We'll be fine..."

He pulled her in and held her as he kissed her... Then he remembered max was there.

He let go. "Well... I need to train more. We're going to be sieging..."

Hiro saw a painful look in his eyes. This had to be hard for him... This place was once his home.

"Then you should train." Said Hiro.

"And so will I. I'll be right next to you in the siege, so I can't slow you down."

He smiled warmly at her. "Thank you... You really are special to me Hiro."

He gave her a soft kiss, and left.

Hiro was blushing. "Wow... He's so... Just, wow..."

"Hiro! HIRO! Do we get to hit things!? And I'll bring snacks!" Max yelled.

 _(Hiro, train with me. I need souls to gain power, but this is good for you too. If you feed me souls, I will serve as a better mount. When you are mounted on me, our power is collective... The heavens stripped us of our true power by purging us of souls. If I were to gain back this power, I could fall into my true form again. Let me devour your enemies, and we will become stronger.)_

Hiro shrugged. "I don't see why not..."


	53. Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Soul Hunting, Soul Rising

Junichi was marveling at the grand castle before him.

"There's no way this was built in FIVE MINUTES. Impossible."

A woman laughed. "You know? I would say the same thing, but I saw it happen."

Junichi turned to face her, and stopped.

She was a woman with long black hair, indigo blue eyes, she had scars on her face and... Wow...

"Holy... You have a nice set of-!"

 _Tits. Very big, and perfectly round... Don't blow this Junichi! She's really HOT!_

"...Eyes. Very pretty."

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I'm sure I do..."

 _Fuck. There's still hope... Try again!_

"No, but I mean... You are really gorgeous! Seriously... "

She smirked. "That's nice to know, but I'm taken. Sorry."

Junichi sighed in defeat. "There are no single women here... It makes me sad."

She shook her head. "Next time you want to compliment my eyes, try looking at them. What you should have said was... You have nice boobs. Because that's what you were thinking... Who are you anyway?"

He shook his head.

 _Well, there goes that idea..._

"I'm Junichi. I live at the Warrior's Respite, I'm Linn's brother."

She nodded

"I'm Loki, and I live in this castle. Hi."

Hiro zipped past them, riding on Max the Leviathan.

Junichi looked at them as they rode off.

"What is she up to this time...?"

Loki sighed. "I don't know, but you'd better catch up. She's a troublesome one..."

"See you then!" Junichi waved.

He ran after Hiro.

...

Hiro saw Junichi following her, so she made a sharp turn through some trees. There was a shortcut here that would help her get to the actual fortress of the priestess anyway.

She had just barely been ungrounded, so she didn't want to get caught doing things again.

She seemed to have lost him, and continued toward the shortcut. She found a way around the gates and into the area of the unguarded trials. She headed toward the last trial...

"Hiro!? WHAT are you DOING HERE!?" Yelled Tira.

"It's not safe."

Hiro looked at her, and saw that she was armed to the teeth.

"Right, and you're here just out on a stroll?" She said sarcastically.

She looked down. "No... I just... I just thought that since the priestess was alive, she would attack. So I'll come to her first."

Hiro nodded. "Then we're here for the same reason..."

Two sets of threads wrapped around both of them. Eiji stood before them...

"I saw you two running toward the Trials... And yes, it's a very bad idea."

"I've seen exactly what you have!" Tira protested.

"I can handle it."

"Then you didn't learn anything." Said Eiji.

"What part of HELL don't you get!?" He exclaimed.

"Do you really think that you could walk through it like it's nothing? Like a walk in the park? No. It's called torture for a reason!"

"So we just wait for her to KILL US THEN!?" Hiro yelled.

"See how that works out..."

Eiji dropped them.

"Fine, do what you want..." He said, his tone low.

Max had been silent the whole time, but was glaring at Eiji.

Eiji walked up to Hiro... His face grew more concerned.

"Before you do though, let me tell you something. I was in there for an an hour or two, three at most. That place is the definition of torture... Even that amount of time and I have nightmares about it."

He looked at Tira.

"Tira, try to reexperience what happened to you... How long you were there... Now look me in the eyes and tell me you're willing to do that again. Do it with a straight face." He said.

She looked down. "I can't say it..." She sniffed.

Her face went pale. "I tried not to think about it but..."

She sobbed. "Fine! FINE! You're RIGHT! HAPPY NOW!? What are we going to do when she attacks us? She has HELL IN HER HANDS! What the hell are we supposed to do then Eiji!? TELL ME!"

"I DON'T KNOW!" He yelled.

"But THIS isn't the answer."

Hiro sighed. "Then what is. You don't know, so what then? What now..."

He was angry... More scared than anything. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel what he felt, and experience that... Tira too, because she didn't need to be thrown back into that place.

"Not this." He said.

"You didn't answer my question." Said Hiro bitterly.

Eiji snapped. "STOP! Just stop get to be the HERO! FOR ONCE!"

Max bit him.

Eiji's wires shot out, but there was considerable damage done to his arm.

Hiro saw the blood, and froze.

What was she thinking!? If she couldn't handle a little blood, she couldn't kill a priestess.

"Do NOT walk so threateningly to HIRO EVER!" Max barked.

Eiji's hung his head... And started laughing. He only did this when you've really pushed him past the limit.

His threads became more prominent, surrounding his body.

"You know?" He laughed.

"I am really starting to get tired of this trend..."

His expression darkened.

"I have been cooked alive, EATEN alive, SWALLOWED ALIVE, FUCKING DIGESTED!" He screamed.

He laughed more. "Electric currents melting me... ALIVE! The whole time on a broken FUCKING LEG!"

He was shaking. "Then I was pushed around, and beaten up... Treated like a small child."

He looked up, and his eyes filled with a bloodlust that Hiro had never seen. Black wings shot out of his back.

"To be bitten by you when I'M NOT EVEN IN HELL!? Well, you see... I WILL NOT ACCEPT THAT!"

They lunged at each other, and Tira ran to Hiro.

"He's you're boyfriend, and Max is YOU'RE friend. Do something."

She was calm. "Eiji's right, and this was stupid. If she attacks us, we'll figure it out."

Hiro was still frozen.

"B...Blood... So much... No. NO!"

She grabbed her hand and sat down.

Tira shook her. "Hiro. HIRO. Move, now. Do something, because I'll just get in the way. You are the only one who can stop them..."

Hiro looked up at her.

"That's right." Said Tira.

"And if something happens to either of them, can you live with that? If it's the blood you're afraid of, stop it. Stop the bloodshed. Do it now. Face this, or one of them WILL die."

Tira's resolve seemed to empower Hiro.

She stood, and looked at Eiji. His arm had healed, and he was in...

A third stage!? That wasn't possible.

Max had to back down, but if he did, Eiji might still attack him. But if Hiro tried to stop Eiji, Max might still hurt him before she could stop him.

The world stopped, giving Hiro a moment to think.

 _I can't stop them one at a time, or one will get hurt._

 _I can't stand in the way, or I'll get hurt, solving nothing._

 _What about in pixie form? Good question._

 _So far I only have good enough spells to slow them down, because I can't injure them. They're both important to me._

 _It will have to work. If anything, it might buy me enough time to calm them both down._

The world moved again, and Hiro shifted.

She blasted them away from each other, knocking them both down.

She shifted back. "Max! That's ENOUGH!" She yelled.

He backed down.

Eiji stood to fight again, and Hiro tried dispelling his wings. She had a hunch that they might be some form of armor... Or a source of magic in this mysterious third stage.

It worked, and Eiji collapsed to the ground.

Hiro caught him.

"Eiji, are you okay?" She asked.

"You're right, and this was a bad idea."

She looked down. "I froze up at a little blood... This priestess would destroy me."

His lower lip was trembling, and he looked up at me.

"I didn't want you to feel so weak... You aren't. I'm sure if you were to face her, you would win. Before that... That's what I'm afraid of."

He looked at Max.

"Would you willingly sacrifice her sanity, and put her through torture for a soul? Max... Would you do that to Hiro?"

He looked down.

"No... I would not. I am sorry Hiro... Would it hurt you?"

He looked away. "Of course it would..."

Leviathan's had moments of coherency... You just had to hit them in the right spot. Hiro was Max's. He would never want to see her in pain, and could verbally express that.

Eiji sighed, trying to keep his tears in.

Hiro hugged him. "No need to do that." She said.

"I'm here..."

He cried into her.

In all truth? Most of the cause for his outburst was a feeling of powerlessness. A feeling he hadn't quite shaken since his encounter with the lowest plain.

Tira sniffed. She felt powerless too...

Like there was nothing she could do to help anyone with anything. Part of this was because she still liked Eiji, and wished that he would listen to her words too...

Most of it was just how she felt. Her entire life was nothing but a worthless waste so far in her eyes... She never did anything major, or really helped in big ways...

She walked away when no one was looking.

Junichi ran to them.

"What!? No." He said.

"That's not happening! And... What happened?"

"Nothing..." Eiji sniffed.

"I decided not to go in." Said Hiro.

"Eiji was right, it was stupid... Right Tira?"

She turned around. No Tira.

"T-Tira!? Where did she go!?"

"Do you think she went in!?" Eiji exclaimed.

"Oh good lord!" Junichi groaned.

"What the hell part of 'Stay out of trouble' don't you kid's understand!?"

He sighed. "Would she have gone in?"

Eiji looked down. "I'm not sure."

Hiro stood. "Well, what do we do!? Do we go in after her!?"

"Not yet." Said Junichi. "That would be reckless, and she may not even be in there. We'll check the grounds, the castle, and the Warrior's interior. Either way, you're not going in."

Hiro gaped. "But she's my FRIEND! You can't just-!"

"No." Said Junichi.

"And I won't say it again. Both of your parents, and myself, are pulling their hair out over how involved you already are! No one wants to see off their children... And no one should do it as many times as they have."

Hiro looked away.

"I know that..." She sniffed. "I'd just feel horrible if something happened to her!"

She burst into tears.

"I REALLY don't mean to mess up so much! I just want to help, and do the right things! But I mess up ANYWAY! I CAN'T DO SHIT RIGHT! SO WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE!?"

She cried into herself.

Eiji hugged her, and Junichi knelt down next to her.

"No... That's not true!" Said Eiji.

What you did for me just then? When Max and I had gotten in a fight? That was right..."

"You got in a fight?" Junichi asked flatly.

Eiji sighed. "Yeah... It sucked."

Junichi put a hand on her shoulder.

"You don't 'Mess up' all of the time. If you would just ask for help more, you wouldn't be in half the trouble you're usually in."

She sobbed. "But... But I don't want anyone else to get hurt!"

Eiji pulled her in. "Well, I don't want you to get hurt either..." He said.

"None of us do." Said Junichi.

"So if we fight, we do out together. No sneaking around, and going off alone... Working together will prevent almost all of this tragedy... Let's just look for her back on the grounds, and then we'll make a decision, okay?"

She nodded. "Okay..."

They all stood.

"I'm going to start searching the castle, you search the grounds, alright?"

Eiji nodded. "Right."

Junichi ran off.

"Max, can you search the gardens?" Hiro asked.

He gave Eiji a subtle glare.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

Hiro nodded. "Yes, I'm sure."

He ran off.

Eiji sighed. "I'm sorry for yelling at you..."

Hiro shook her head. "I'm not mad Eiji... I still..."

She blushed.

"Still what?" He asked.

"Hey guys!" Tira yelled.

"You two holding up okay?"

You could tell she had been crying, but they decided not to bring it up.

Hiro ran to her, and hugged her.

"Don't just run off like that!" She exclaimed.

"We were all worried that you'd gotten yourself stuck in the trial!... Tira..."

She sighed. "Sorry, I'll try not to do that again."

Hiro looked at her and smiled.

"Oh, and thanks for what you told me earlier. If it weren't for you? I wouldn't have done a thing! You have such cool things to say, and it's really inspiring!... I wish I had your composure..."

Hiro was startled as Tira sobbed.

"Really? Because I was starting to think I was pretty useless..."

She cried. "Thank you so much! It's like I always mess up, and I just get in your guys' way... And you just said..."

She continued to cry.

Hiro hugged her, and stopped to think for a moment.

Not ten minutes ago, Hiro had been all broken up about the same thing. She knew that Tira was really awesome, and definitely not worthless...

Though she often felt that way about herself.

...Maybe like Tira, Hiro was worth something too.

Tira stopped crying.

"You should get over to the castle." Said Hiro.

"Junichi is looking for you."

She nodded. "Right, I'll get on that now."

She ran off.

Eiji walked up to Hiro.

"Is she okay?" He asked.

Hiro nodded. "Yeah, she's good."

She looked at him.

"What about you? Are you okay...?"

He shook his head.

"Nope, I'm not... But I'll try to do better."

She smiled. "You really are so honest! It's a good thing..."

He smiled, and gave her a kiss.

"You know...? I think the sunlight suits you..."

He smiled. "Did you know they look really pretty when you're happy? Right now it's even better, because the sun makes them sparkle..."

He blushed.

"Okay... That was incredibly dorky I know... But I was saying that... Oh, um... Dammit... Just-"

She laughed, and kissed him back.

"Don't worry about it, I thought it was nice."

He leaned her up against a tree, and kissed her softly...

Eventually they just sat in the shade of the tree...

Hiro leaned into Eiji, his arm wrapped around her.

He turned her face, and kissed her again...

She felt sparks flying in her chest as the embrace continued...

She could sit here forever with him...

...Well, maybe not here.

A circle of Kurayami soldiers surrounded them.

They stood. "I think we stayed too late." Said Hiro.

Eiji nodded, flipping out his threads.

"I think you're right."

A woman walked through the crowd of men, and grinned maliciously at them...

The woman shifted into Kaihn.

"I just love playing priestess!"


	54. Chapter 54

Chapter 54: Too Close For Comfort

Loki was standing in the castle entrance, talking with Katsu... Well, actually, she was fighting with Katsu.

"But why do you have to be so closed off!?" She exclaimed.

"I ask you if you're okay, and you don't give me the slightest hint. What did I do!? Tell me..."

He sighed. "It's not exactly you..." He said monotone.

"But it's something right?" She said.

"Why are you keeping this from me?"

He looked at her.

"Look, things have obviously changed. It's been ten years for me, and-"

She laughed.

"Oh... Is that all."

She punched the arch of the palace, causing a crack in it.

"I WAITED for exactly one HUNDRED AND TEN YEARS IN HELL! For THIS!? I am still willing to work on this. Are you? I mean, COME ON KATSU!"

"One hundred ten years is a LOT of time to FUCKING CHANGE!" He yelled.

"We're not the people we fell in love with, and you know what? You've become so bitter... That's not the Loki I remember."

She teared up.

"Fine. If that's how it is..."

She swallowed her tears.

"Are we doing this?" She asked.

"Are you staying or not?"

He shook his head.

"Sorry... I'll leave this place, if it will make things easier on you..."

She gestured out.

"Then by all means, LEAVE! If it will makes things easier on you..."

He walked away, and left the grounds.

She teared up again, but continued to swallow it...

No more... No more of this silly stupid love.

...

Kuhn was in the dining hall with Linn. They had a nice dinner, and were taking some time to spend with each other.

Linn smiled at him.

"Well, that looks good on you."

He rolled his eyes, and laughed.

"You've seen this on me plenty of times."

She laughed. "Yes, and it still looks good on you!"

He shook his head.

"Well, it's not earth. It's not like we age or anything..."

He looked at her.

"You know? I'm still hopelessly in love with you..."

She blushed, her smile was warm.

"Yeah... Me too..." She said softly.

"I was really nervous about having more kids..." He said.

"I mean, we have Hiro... Her heart is in the right place, but she worries me..."

Linn sighed. "No kidding, right?"

He gave her a soft kiss.

"But, I think we'll be fine. Hiro seems pretty excited for siblings, and that was a big worry for me. What were your thoughts?"

She laughed. "Oh I was worried! Then I thought... Well, maybe they'll be more like you... Then they won't get into trouble, and blow things up... Sneak on wraith rides... Charge into a hell cave riding on Leviathan's... Yeah... Stuff that I would have pulled as a kid... And I did... A lot..."

Kuhn grinned. "So that's who she gets it from!"

Linn turned red. "Well... Maybe a little..."

Max Limped through the door, blood dripping from his mouth, and one of his legs were mangled.

Linn and Kuhn stood.

"Oh shit, isn't Max Hiro's Leviathan now!?" Linn exclaimed.

"That's what she said, so what happened!?" Kuhn said frantically.

They ran to Max.

"Where's Hiro!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"Is she okay!?"

Max heaved in heavy, blood filled breaths. He was desperately trying to say something, but it was all garbled.

"Kahn! Shisuta! Get over here!" Kuhn yelled.

Kahn, Karo, Haruka, Shisuta, and Haku all came down.

They saw max, and Kahn was able to heal him.

Max leapt up, and began speaking.

"Hurry! Hiro is in danger, and Eiji was with her! A man of similar stature..."

He pointed at Kuhn and Kahn.

"Blood filled eyes in the cover of a priestess. They had stayed too long! Too long! We must HURRY!"

They all knew who he was talking about.

"Where were THEY!?" Kuhn yelled.

"Sitting at a tree near the trials!"

Junichi walked in.

He saw the panicked faces, and sighed.

"What's going on?" He asked calmly.

"Something happened at the trials, Kaihn somehow got to Hiro and Eiji."

Junichi gestured to the door.

"Say no more then! We should gather the others as quickly as possible, and find them."

...

Hiro awoke in a strange room... It had metallic walls, and a concrete floor.

Kaihn grinned. "You know, this room brings back so many memories..."

She looked over at Eiji, who was also strapped to a chair. He was strapped more firmly than she was. He was still out cold.

He laughed maliciously.

"So you noticed his restraints? Yes well... Normally they inhibit magic and abilities well enough on their own... But his mother broke them once... Best not take any chances."

He laughed maniacally.

"Why are you laughing!?" She exclaimed.

He slammed his hands down on the arms of the chair, her arms. She flinched.

"I find it funny that your loved ones are searching the grounds so vigorously, when really!? You're in the bathhouse... The Warrior's was once a bathhouse you know, and this is one of the forgotten rooms."

Hiro's eyes filled with realization.

"I see. So this is the bathhouse that was ran by the head witch Yubaba..."

He grinned. "My you are an observant one... A lot like Kahn..."

He punched her in the face.

"I HATE KAHN!"

She flinched, then gritted her teeth.

"Good for you."

"Where am I...?" Said Eiji softly.

Kaihn walked over to him.

"Oh hello, son of Chihiro... You've been a thorn in my side for quite some time..."

He laughed darkly.

"But all thorns are eventually extracted... But it's not always an easy process."

Eiji went pale as he pulled out the scalpel.

"In fact? Most times you'll find the process slow and... Painful."

He desperately tried to turn his head, but Kaihn held him in place.

"Don't you TOUCH HIM!" Hiro screamed.

Kaihn laughed. "What, like this?"

He slowly shoved the scalpel into his ear... Eiji flinched, and began screaming as he shoved it deeper, moving it around as blood poured from his ear.

"Stop! STOP IT!" Hiro screamed.

"Leave him alone! Just hurt me!"

"Don't say that!" Eiji choked between tears.

"I can-!"

Kaihn shoved it in his other ear, and he screamed.

"No! STOP!" She cried.

"Take me! As long as you want, but leave him ALONE!"

He laughed. "Don't worry little one, I'm the generous sort, and I always share..."

She laughed bitterly... Her mind going dark.

"I'm sure you do... What makes you so fucked up Kaihn? Did you get skull raped by demons in the womb? I bet those red eyes are filled with skull fucking demon jiz..."

She laughed maniacally.

"I bet you're just bitter from your nutrition as a child... What, did your mom mix up the bottles... Hm, what's that red stuff? Or was it more direct..."

He stopped, and laughed.

"You know? That's something I would say... Turns out you inherited a little bit of everything!"

She stopped, and snapped out of it.

No, she was nothing like him!

He laughed. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be just like me! I might even keep you around!"

He stabbed out Eiji's right eye, and he let out a blood churning scream.

"EIJI!" She yelled.

"You're a sick FUCKING MONSTER!" She screamed.

He began slowly peeling the skin from Eiji's face, and he screamed, letting out small sobs.

Hiro sobbed.

"Stop it! Please stop... I'll do whatever you want."

He grabbed Eiji's tongue.

Hiro jolted in her chair.

"NO! STOP IT! STOP IT!"

He slowly sawed it off.

Blood shot out of his mouth, and he began to choke as Kaihn tilted his head back.

Hiro sobbed.

"I always found it fascinating how when you cut out the tongue, you're more likely to die then when you say, cut off a hand... Viens in the tongue can bleed out quite quickly..."

Eiji was breathing in his own blood, gagging and gasping for air.

"However, I find it more fun to tip the head back, that way they drown... Don't you agree?"

"No!" She screamed.

"I DON'T!"

Eiji went still.

Hiro's eyes went wide.

"No... NO! NO! EIJI!"

He restored, and Kaihn tipped his head back a little longer before he let it hang forward, Eiji's mouth spilling with vomit and blood.

 _Hm... Why was there still blood?_

 _No! You are not curious!_

 _SHUT UP!_

 _NO! SHUT UP! NO MORE!_

He grinned. "You were curious... I saw it in your eyes."

"I'm NOTHING LIKE YOU!" She barked.

He laughed darkly.

"Tell that to the inn you mercilessly slaughtered..."

She was shaking... Not only because of all of the blood, but because he made sense.

She HAD slaughtered that inn... She enjoyed it, and subconsciously? She knew it.

He got close to her face, and grinned.

"You aren't afraid of blood... You're afraid of what it stirs in your mind. You're afraid to like it..."

She turned her head. "No..."

"You're full of shit!" Eiji laughed.

"Hiro is kind, and merciful to those who deserve it! You do not deserve it..."

Kaihn glared at him. "I feel more like hurting you than her I hope you know... Pissing me off, may NOT BE THE BEST OF IDEAS!"

He laughed darkly. "Yeah? Okay... Fine then. Go ahead, get defensive. It just proves to me that you're a little bitch..."

Kaihn punched him in the face, dislocating his jaw.

The straps loosened on Hiro.

She tried to attack him, but a shield defended him.

He laughed, and handed her the scalpel.

"If you can cause him as much pain as you possibly can, I'll let you both go!"

She froze.

"No..." She said blankly.

"I won't."

He pulled out another scalpel, and sliced his own finger.

She began shaking as his blood dripped to the floor...

"You sure...?" He asked.

"It's such a pretty color... Don't you think that red would suit him Hiro? The crimson red..."

She became entranced...

She held her head, and started screaming.

"No! NO! STOP!"

"What are you DOING TO HER!?" Eiji yelled.

Kaihn laughed.

"It's not what I'm doing to her... No. She's doing it to herself..."

"When I get out of this chair, I will hurt you..." Said Eiji darkly.

He had been restored again, and was dark and livid.

Kaihn grinned.

"There's your mother... That dark side that I prized..."

Eiji laughed bitterly.

"I'm not surprised you brought that out in her... Disrespectful bitches have always set her off."

Kaihn held him by his throat.

"You are so FUCKING STUPID! Talking to ME LIKE THAT!? You're the one tied down to the FUCKING CHAIR!"

The door slammed open.

"I knew it..." Said Chihiro darkly.

The room changed into a normal small room.

She laughed maniacally, as if a darker part of her had been revived.

Kaihn grinned. "Well speak of tainted devil! That is what you are right now, after all..."

She held him to a wall, and slammed his head there.

"What ABOUT IT!?" She barked.

She grinned, and Eiji had never seen her so malicious...

"How about it Kaihn? Ready for another round in the underworld?"

He grinned. "Sorry, but I've got places to be... Missions to report. I am on a holy mission after all... I live it when these 'Angels' hire me!"

He disappeared, and Chihiro collapsed.

She laughed darkly, not fully returned to herself...

"So that's how it's going to be..."

She continued laughing.

Eiji walked up to her. Hiro was still shaking, but unharmed.

His mother was kin a state he had never seen... He was worried.

He put his hands on her shoulders.

"Mom..." He said.

"Look at me... I want you to relax... Just calm your mind."

She did.

Her eyes went from a blood red to her normal hazel.

She sobbed, and hugged him.

"Eiji... I'm so sorry you had to... Oh god..."

She held him, and continued to cry.

Hiro was shaking, and curled up on the ground.

She sobbed, and Eiji looked up.

He looked at his mom.

"Sorry but, give me a minute..."

She nodded. "Alright then."

He walked over to Hiro, and laid down in front of her.

He held her hands, and stroked them.

She cried into him.

"I would never hurt you..." She sobbed.

"Never... Never..."

He pulled her in. "I know... It's okay, I'm fine. Let's get you out of here, and we should get some sleep..."

Eiji wasn't fine. He was tearing apart inside...

He had to be here for Hiro... She was a mess, and he couldn't leave her like that.

He'd rather leave himself in this state of turmoil.

He helped her stand, and they left the room.

Chihiro sealed the room, and melted the doorknob and lock.

"They should have sealed it before..." She said.

Kuhn, Linn, and the others ran up to them.

Haku looked at Chihiro, and sensed the residual energy she had harnessed.

He hugged her. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She took a glance at Eiji.

"I'm more worried about him..."

Haku sighed. "Did Kaihn...?"

Chihiro nodded. "Yeah..."

Hiro tried to stand again, but fell to her knees... She was exhausted.

Kuhn put his arms under her, and lifted her up.

"Linn. Could you run a warm bath for her?" He asked.

"I'll just take her to her room..."

Linn nodded.

They walked away.

Eiji's expression became blank. He began walking almost lifelessly to his room.

The others stopped him.

He stopped without notice...

Like he didn't even know where he was going.

He sat, and his face was blank, his eyes were empty.

They all knelt down.

Chihiro and Haku held him, whispering soothing words...

Shisuta examined him.

"Do you feel any pain?" She asked.

He shook his head... Then it hung there, motionless.

Haruka sighed. "I think what he needs is rest..."

Loki looked conflicted.

"Well, for now..." She said.

"He also needs movement... Eiji, you should rest. Just make sure you wake up tomorrow, and we'll train, so eat a good breakfast."

Karo looked at her.

"Should he really be training the day after something like this!?"

Kahn nodded. "Routine will help... Of reorients the mind, and helps you recover from something like this."

Loki looked at them.

"Talk to him, not about him. That never helps..."

She looked at Eiji.

"Come on, let's stand up, and you should walk to your room... Then get some sleep. We'll be training at 9:30, so make sure to be up before then."

He nodded, and stood.

Chihiro and Haku made sure he kept his balance as he went up the stairs.

He couldn't show it right now, but her really appreciated what Loki did for him.

The last thing he wanted was to be smothered, and held down... He just didn't want that attention. He didn't want to think about this.

Eiji started to understand why Loki was the way she was... It made perfect sense to him now.

And out of everyone he had met, he now respected her the most.


	55. Chapter 55

****Hello readers! This is the song that inspired the character Loki to a degree...It's coming much more into play as I write. I will give it to you as a link.**

 **The song is called 'Youth' by Daughter.**

 **Here's the link:**

youtube **-**. **-** com/?#/watch?v=VEpMj-tqixs

 **The last letter of the link is a lower case 's'.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 55! :)****

Chapter 55: Loki vs. Junichi

Loki was waiting for Eiji to arrive.

It was 9:45, and he hadn't gotten over to the castle yet. Loki was about to grow impatient, when Eiji came running to the castle, and Hiro was with him.

She smiled. "Of course he did."

They both looked sluggish, and like they didn't want to move. Loki felt them there, but pity wouldn't help them. She felt sympathy, and even empathy...

She did not pity them.

Pity was for the weak and unworthy... They were not either one of those things.

She smiled. "Hiro , you came too? Good... I'm sure I'll be able to train you just as well."

She nodded. "What do you train in..." She asked. It was more monotone than anything, but at least she was trying.

Loki looked up thoughtfully.

"Just about anything you could think of. You specifically? Well, bludgeoning weapons, and defense. When you fight, you seem to flail wildly about, leaving yourself open. You have a giant club you can lift, it could be used to block heavy attacks."

Hiro felt slightly offended at the flailing wildly comment, but she knew that Loki had a point.

"Perhaps I could help in that area?" Junichi offered.

Loki sighed. "What did you have in mind?"

Junichi grinned.

"Let's spar, and you'll see what I have in mind..."

She nodded. "Sounds fair, show me what you've got."

She immediately ran toward him, throwing him off guard. His mistake? Expecting a clean start from the battle hardened Loki.

Loki's mistake? Expecting that Junichi was to caught off to defend himself.

She went for a blow with a kick under the chin. It was soft enough not to kill him, but hard enough to show him she was serious.

He readied his stance, using her momentum and strength to slam her to the ground.

He slid back.

She stood, and laughed. "I've never seen that fighting style... Okay, you've peaked my interest."

Hiro and Eiji gaped.

He completely floored Loki on the first move... This was going to be a battle of epic proportions.

He smirked. "So I've peaked your interest then? Does that mean we can wrestle too? I've got some pretty good holds." He said with a wink.

Hiro laughed.

Eiji turned red. "Oh no... He's going to learn that those comments end painfully..."

Loki fumed. "Why you ARROGANT PIG HEADED SON OF A WHORE!"

Loki's mistake? Losing her temper and falling into Junichi's game.

Junichi's mistake? Thinking she would fight blindly while angry.

She ran toward him, feigning a haymaker punch.

He went to grab it, and she grabbed his arm instead, slamming his chest down with her foot.

She pulled him up a second time, and repeated.

Loki's mistake? Repeating. He grabbed her foot as it was coming down, and used it to slam her face into the dirt.

He slid back, coughing.

"Son of a-! Ow..."

She stood, and blood poured out of her mouth. Hiro averted her eyes.

She spit out a back molar.

She was angry. "Now you've REALLY PISSED ME OFF!" She yelled.

He cringed at that. "Oh... Shit. Are you okay?"

She walked up to him, and held out her hand.

He took it... His mistake.

She put twisted his arm behind his back.

"No I'm NOT OKAY! HOW'S THIS FOR A HOLD!?"

He pushed his entire body back, causing them to fall. She let go, sensing possible injury to herself.

He kept his distance. "I could do better." He smirked.

She glared at him. "I'm going to hurt you."

"She's serious... So you know." Eiji commented.

Hiro sighed. "Really?"

Eiji looked down. "What? It's true..."

This battle had made them feel, if anything, more entertained.

Junichi was funny, even when his nose was broken...

Which it was, at Loki's next move.

She did a flip behind him.

He spun around, and looked behind him.

She slid silently behind him again.

Sensing this, he turned around just in time to get a hard punch to the face. His nose bent to the side, and she laughed, sliding back.

"And I thought you were ridiculous before!? I'm not even using weapons."

He glared. "Neither abm I." He said. His closed of nasal path making him sound utterly ridiculous in the circumstances.

She laughed.

He rolled his eyes. "Oh fuck off..."

She smiled. "I bet you'd like to see that, right?"

Both Hiro and Eiji were red. Eiji was slightly green...

 _To hell with the brain bleach... My innocence is ruined._

Junichi smirked. "Bmaybe later, would you like to bmake an appointment?"

Her eye twitched. "Did you just call me a proustite?"

He laughed. "If the shoe fits."

She ran at him... Her mistake.

He ran forward, and did a palm strike, sending her own force, plus his to the ground, causing a slight hole.

Eiji and Hiro were in shock. Loki had just been beaten by Junichi.

He held out his hand. "This is over. Adn for the record? No, you're dnot a prostitute."

She grabbed it, and stood.

She laughed. "You really are good! Okay then..."

She gave him a side glance.

"You better not have meant that prostitute thing... Or I'll cut your dick off, and feed it to you as a steamed sausage."

Both Eiji and Hiro cringed at that. Eiji tightened his legs slightly, shifting his arms in front of his body...

Junichi nodded, he was slightly more pale.

"Well, rest assured, it was only to bmake you angry. No truth to it... Excuse bme while I get bmy dnose fixed, adn find a brass cup to sleep with..."

Loki busted out laughing.

"You do that then!"

Hiro shivered. "Even I'M not that brutal..."

Eiji shivered as well. "I think its a good thing..."

Loki looked at them.

"So, who's ready to train?"

They both stepped back.

Loki gave an incredulous groan...

"Oh LORD! It won't kill YOU!"

Eiji gave a side glance.

"You know? There are fates much worse... Sausage comes to mind."

She rolled her eyes. "You are so overdramatic... Hiro! Would I do that to Eiji!?"

She looked down, and stayed silent.

She gave a flat look of near disappointment.

"Seriously... How did I get this horrible reputation...?"

They trained for most of the day, and Junichi even returned to help Hiro with her part of it.

It was an up looking day for Eiji and Hiro at least... Loki was smiling, but she felt lost... She was smiling because they needed encouragement, and it was all she could do not to slip.

She was breaking, and both her and Freya knew it.


	56. Chapter 56

****Hello readers. I have had the nastiest cold, and the writing has been slow... Sorry about that. I'm still sick, but now it's only my throat. Laryngitis is a pain, but at least you won't have to hear my whale croaks on the story. I'm also happy that this is online, where I can't be too infectious...**

 **Unless you or your electronic device have sympathy pains\sickness.**

 **However... This isn't possible.**

 **Either way, enjoy Chapter 56! :)****

Chapter 56: Inner Conflict

I was sitting at my desk, taking notes on everything that had happened...

I had been seriously reflecting on what Nina had told me. I had many questions, and the list of pro's and Con's I had written.

I took a moment to look at it again.

...

 _Pro's and Con's of the Siege_

 _PRO'S_

 _• On the moralistic side of things, I would be fighting for justice. 1_

 _• Were I to succeed, I could then right the crimes against the victims of a tyranny. 1_

 _• We have the dreamstone amulet, which significantly improves our power and our chances of success. 2_

 _• We have gained powerful allies. 2_

 _• The knowledge that erasal can be undone gives us an advantage. 2_

 _CON'S_

 _• We do not have the element of surprise. 2_

 _• There is an unknown lethal factor that may prove to be a disadvantage. 3_

 _• The stance of the throne or who is to claim it is also an unknown. 2_

 _• The amount of unknown factors may allow for conflict among the group, and conflict with Shinjitsu, if it comes to that. This could mean many casualties. 3_

 _THE GREY_ _:_ _• (More Bad). - (More Good)._

 _\- I may be able to bring back fallen allies, if I win. 3_

 _• Kaihn's attack may be a troublesome obstacle, leaning toward more powerful foes. 2_

 _\- Kaihn's attack is also the reason we have to fight this. People like him should not be favored by ruler's and leaders. 2_

 _• We are not favored, and Shinjitsu's stance with the heavens has always been unclear. 2_

 _• The Leviathan's may turn on us, due to their unpredictable nature. 3_

 _\- Both Hiro and Eiji have sway over the Leviathan's. 3_

 _\- Hiro specifically has rule over Max. 2_

 _• The extent of Hiro's power over Max is now unknown. 1_

 _ABSOLUTES_

 _Pro's: 8_

 _Con's: 10_

 _GREY AREAS_

 _Pro's: 10_

 _Con's: 8_

 _TOTAL ODDS_

 _Pro's: 18_

 _Con's: 18_

...

The grey was something I had added recently, because lately there have been more of them. I didn't expect the odds to be perfectly matched, and there were so many unknowns that could turn this one way or the other...

It was nerve wracking.

I have the dreamstone amulet in the palm of my hand, yet I'm on the fence about this siege, and the odds are in the air.

I needed to make a decision, and I needed to make it soon.

I will take the night to think on it... Besides, a sleep deprived brain will not make optimal choices.

However, not even sleep could stall this forever.

...

Junichi was taking a casual stroll around the castle. He was still amazed at the fine detail put in after five minutes of work.

He saw Max run by, and he seemed...

Well, bigger. Headed back to Hiro no doubt.

"Hm, well that was strange..."

"Why are you still here?" Asked Loki.

"Did you need something? Or are you back to give me a rematch. I've been itching to break your nose again!"

He laughed. "No need to be so hostile! How's your tooth? Still gone?"

She gave him a flat look.

"Why yes, yes it is... Aren't you just captain obvious."

He smirked. "Well, every captain needs a feisty maid..." He mumbled.

"What was that!?" She barked.

"Nothing, nothing at all." He grinned.

She glared at him.

"You suck... But..."

She looked down.

"Your asshole ways make my asshole life less prominent... I guess."

He laughed. "I don't know if that's a thank you, or an apology... Either way, I accept."

She laughed. "Don't read too much into it."

He shook his head. "You know, I'm not the only asshole here..."

He looked at her. "So, how's your ever blossoming relationship? Still enjoying the 'Romagedy'?"

She looked down bitterly.

"No. It's more of a tragedy now... Like a dead flower. Oh, and thanks for nonchalantly stepping all over my mood."

He had no clue things had gone that badly.

He sighed. "I didn't know. I'm sorry... Are you okay?"

She glared. "Do you really have to ask?"

He looked down. "No, I suppose not."

He looked at her. "My question, if it's welcome... Why would he leave you? Didn't you wait a century for him?"

She clenched her teeth.

"Yes. I did."

Junichi gestured to a stone bench.

They sat down, and she stayed silent. Her expression was angry, but it was obvious that pain lurked close beneath the surface.

"I just don't know why... He told me things had changed."

She slammed her fist on the arm of the bench, breaking it.

"But that's BULLSHIT! I waited a century, just to be ABANDONED!? FUCK THAT!"

She burst into tears, crying silently for a while.

Junichi put an arm on her shoulder.

"I'm really sorry for ruining your mood... And I'm sorry he did that. I've never understood why the people closest to us decide to throw it all away..."

She looked at him.

His eyes were teary, and he seemed to be spacing for a moment.

He looked back at Loki.

"You're a lot like I was... I mean, I've never been to hell, nor do I want to make the trip... Abandonment is a harsh upbringing, and tends to follow it's prey."

"I just don't understand how he came to such a conclusion..." She sniffed.

She looked up, her eyes spilling with tears.

"It's funny... I was just starting to remember my old self. So much for that."

Junichi stared at her...

He himself had said something similar once... But it was to no one.

He felt a pain in his chest, and a flutter when he looked at her eyes...

 _No. Not happening._

He suppressed the feeling, and sighed.

"Is there anything else I can do?" He asked.

She sighed. "It's getting late, and we should probably get some sleep."

He nodded. "Then I'll be on my way..."

They stood, and walked away.

He turned around. "Um, Loki? Wait."

 _Dammit. No, stop this. Not happening._

She stopped. "Yeah?" She asked.

Her eyes seemed to entrance him.

"Sweet dreams." He said.

She smiled sadly. "Thank you..."

She looked up at him. "It seems I misjudged you, sleep well."

They walked away, amnd Junichi had to restrain himself from tearing out his own hair.

 _Idiot idiot idiot! This kind of thing never ends well. She's attractive, and would be a nice friend's with benefits. That's it._

 _(There's so much more to her. Why am I such an asshole!?)_

 _It's not going to happen._

 _(Maybe she would understand me...)_

 _Those thoughts will only bury me! Stop it. It's always the same._

 _(She's different then those ones...)_

 _No! NO! They are all the same, save my sister. That woman is a saint. Kuhn is a forever lucky soul._

 _(What about Chihiro, or Shisuta? They aren't like those ones either...)_

 _I don't know them well enough to say that, and I know Loki even less._

 _(Loki... Norse mythology as a god of mischief... How fitting for such stunning woman, with such an equally bright fire burning in dark eyes...)_

 _Why am I doing this to myself? I will regret taking down this wall._

 _I always do._


	57. Chapter 57

****Hello readers! The story is getting very long, and I hope it doesn't seem like it drags on. I am really enjoying the writing, and I hope it shows. If you like or dislike anything, feel free to let me know.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 57! :)****

Chapter 57: Meanwhile...

Hiro had been working very hard on her training.

She had to learn the difference between brute force, and when her palm striking actually did what she wanted it to.

She could decimate objects anyway, so sometimes it was hard to tell whether the palm strike or her own strength brutalized a tree.

She had also been very sad lately, and had a hard time moving away from her bed in the morning's. Eiji always helped to drag hear out when she needed it.

Today she had been purposely avoiding training.

Things had been stirring in her mind today, and she just wanted to sleep. Knowing she couldn't do that, she at least wanted to skip something. Even if she had to run around avoiding everyone to do it. Movement right?

Eiji had almost found her several times.

Her parents knew she was awake, because she had breakfast with them. Once Eiji started asking them where she was, and that she'd been late for training.

They immediately caught on to her game, and said she's most likely trying to skip.

This only made Eiji amused, and more determined to find her.

She had been brushing up some stealth skills, and had stayed inside of the Warrior's.

She smiled to herself.

"The one place that Eiji won't check."

The Attic.

She heard the him of an elevator going up.

She froze.

She had to find somewhere to hide. Now.

She looked up, and saw a vent.

She gave a mischievous grin.

"That could work."

...

Eiji was with Max, looking for Hiro.

He can't believe he'd never considered the Attic.

He smiled. Hiro couldn't hide from him now.

"She's moved up." Said Max.

Eiji gaped. "Up!? But how!?"

Max shivered.

"But the SPIDERS! NOT TASTEY!"

Eiji froze.

The elevator opened, and he stepped out with Max.

"These spiders wouldn't happen to be small and black, would they?"

Eiji remembered a story Kamachi had told him. When his form had been changed into a hideous monster, and his soot balls had been turned into the most gruesome of spiders. He had locked them away before he had changed, and even he admitted he should have found a way to destroy them.

Max looked up. "There... They harbor their fangs of hatred. Many years they wait, and tainted venom slowly drips..."

Eiji didn't like the sound of that.

"I'm going up there to find her." He said.

"Follow me up if you can."

Max elongated his form into that of a snake's.

They entered the vents, and started looking for Hiro.

...

Hiro moved about the Warrior's through the vents. She stopped over the Altar room, where karo and Shisuta were talking.

"I still have those dreams of him..." Said Shisuta.

"I don't know why, but I think he's getting angry. I haven't taken a soul since Karin, and I don't think he likes that."

Karo looked down nervously.

"Do you think that he'd hurt you?"

Shisuta sighed. "I don't know. I hope Kahn makes up his mind soon on the siege... That might appease Sasageru's appetite."

Karo smirked. "Well, let Sasageru have his appetite."

He leaned in, and began nipping at her ear.

"And I'll have mine..." He said softly.

Hiro moved on before she could witness such an atrocity. She had to hold back a gag...

Karo was such a horny cheese ball!

She moved through, and noticed how dark the vents were getting...

She felt it drop, as she slid down to an outer vent.

She knew it was outside, because she felt the temperature drop. It was still cold, even though it had stopped snowing.

She heard a curious noise at this dead end she was at. She tried to listen in, but couldn't make out the noise.

She kicked in the vent, and felt...

Spiders. They were crawling all over her.

She let out a horrible scream, kicking out the bottom of the vent, and falling into the water.

Lucky for her, none of the spiders had bitten her, and the one's on her died in the water.

The bad news? The water was very cold, and partially frozen.

She saw Eiji and Max knock a hole on top of the vent, and Max was getting the spiders off of Eiji.

She tried desperately to swim to somewhere dry, but her limbs were becoming stiff, and hard to move. Her body temperature was dropping, and she felt herself start to sink.

She tried to cry out for help as Eiji searched the area for her.

She couldn't manage loud noises, and when she tried to scream, she sometimes sank a little further, choking on the frigid water.

Eiji saw her, and shot out his threads, pulling her out of the water.

He picked her up, and ran with Max. There were hundreds of tranchula sized spiders hot on their tracks.

...

Eiji didn't get bit. Well, maybe. He was pretty sure anyway.

Hiro's body temperature was still dangerously low, and she wouldn't last long if she didn't get help soon.

He reached the end of the vent, and climbed onto the ladder. He couldn't move down because the spiders were crawling up in his direction. He moved up the ladder, and held onto Hiro.

The ladder was normally sturdy, but it was very old, and had been let to rust.

His foothold broke, sending him closer to the spiders.

They started crawling up his leg, and he shook them off, reaching up, and regaining a foothold above them. He felt it bend, and saw a very likely unsturdy pipe.

His foothold was going to break, spiders were nearing, and Hiro had stopped shivering, but looked worse.

That pipe would break, but on the other side was a window that might lead to safety.

He jumped off of the ladder, and onto the pipe. It broke half way there, and spiders shot their webs on him.

He used his own threads to cling onto the edge of the window. It was one floor up from the office.

The spiders were crawling from the webs, and Eiji was running out of time.

He pulled both Hiro and himself up to the window's shaky ledge, disconnecting the webs.

The spiders stopped, as if they didn't want to move any further.

Max had also stopped.

"Max! Come on!"

Eiji yelled.

"Give me Hiro! What you do from here is your business!" Max yelled.

Eiji looked at Hiro.

"She needs to be inside NOW. She's freezing to death, and you're knee deep in tainted spiders!" Eiji yelled.

"Give HER TO ME!" Max snarled.

"NO! That's CRAZY!" Eiji yelled angrily.

"I'm taking her inside!"

He busted open the window, and sealed it shut when he got inside.

He had found some blankets in a very off looking room... It looked like a child had lived here once.

It was a completely different office, but he had never seen it.

He had removed Hiro's wet clothes, and wrapped her in these blankets, lighting the fireplace.

He blushed softly.

"I hope she doesn't think that I peeked or anything." He mumbled.

He didn't. He just knew that the wet clothing would keep her cold.

She was still breathing, and he hoped she would warm up soon...

He went into the room to get more blankets. It kind of creeped him out, because half of the lights were broken, and the room looked torn to shreds. Even if it were restored, Eiji would have still been creeped out by it. It looked like an overly decorated insane asylum.

Eiji froze when he heard the growling.

It sounded almost bird like, with a hint of something more beast like, and very dark.

"No tainted should be here..."

Eiji assured himself.

"Mom had destroyed them when she died..."

 _Then again, what about her eye's in the chamber room...?_

 _They were tainted._

 _If she's still a demi blood..._

 _Oh no..._

Eiji turned around slowly as he felt the breeze of flapping wings behind him.

He saw the most fearsome creature to ever have existed.

He let out a horrified scream, and shot out his threads.


	58. Chapter 58

Chapter 58: The Unhived Survivor

Eiji had encased himself in a circle of threads.

Who was this monstrous beast!? 'Was' is the key word. This was no longer mortal, or even tainted. Corrupted? Yes, to put it lightly. A more accurate description would be a beast of despair, corrupted beyond hope... Forever damned to exist until it doesn't.

Eiji let his threads fly around the room, distracting the beast. He didn't want it to grow bored with him, and make Hiro into a snack. He couldn't seem to gain control of it either...

Eiji was terrified, but he wouldn't let this thing hurt Hiro.

That would never happen.

His threads were growing weaker by the second, because it did take effort to keep them going. He was losing energy at an exponential rate...

Time to slip into phases.

...

Chihiro was sitting in the upper office, drinking a cup of hot lavender tea. Her and Eiji had the same tastes in tea's, and many other foods. He hated olives, that was the only difference.

She laughed to herself softly.

"Haku hates olives too..."

Haku laughed. "Because they're disgusting."

Chihiro rolled her eyes.

"They aren't THAT bad!"

She smiled. "You look tired, have you been training again?"

He nodded. "Yes, I have..."

He looked over at Chihiro. She was wearing a more casual style today. Form fitting jeans, and a nice blouse. She was always somewhat formal, and had taken a liking to sundresses. Even she had her more casual days.

Haku liked the look on her very much.

He sat next to her, and gave her a soft and lingering kiss.

"You look good in that." He said.

She blushed. "Oh this? It's just something I threw on..."

He gave her ear a nip.

"You're just being modest..." He whispered.

He continued to trail kisses down her neck, no one was in the office, and everyone had been so busy...

He really needed her physically, but they were in Kuhn's and Linn's office.

For a moment, this made him hesitate.

Chihiro gave him an almost mournful look.

He gave in, and slipped his hands up her shirt, biting her neck, and rubbing his hand on her chest.

What's a little spontaneity every once and a while?

Besides, there was a perfectly good desk...

Chihiro froze, and completely stopped reacting to everything.

"Chihiro? Are you okay?"

Her face was frozen, and she seemed to be stuck in a vision.

She did this the moment before Eiji was attempted to be erased.

It was during our erasal.

It was then that she was able to cast the spell, and save him from immediate danger.

Visions like this meant that someone was in immediate danger, needing all of her intuition amplified.

She shifted into a Phoenix, and shot through the ceiling.

Haku froze.

That was Yubaba's old office.

He shifted into a dragon, and followed Chihiro.

...

Loki was pacing impatiently around the palace entrance, Junichi was attempting to comfort her.

"It's obvious that Hiro is trying to skip." He said.

"I'm sure Eiji is just having a hard time finding her."

She sighed with frustration.

"Yeah, but it's been at least an hour and a half. This is taking too long..."

They saw Max running toward them.

Junichi looked at her.

"Okay, now I believe you."

"Where's Hiro and Eiji!?" Loki asked.

Max growled. "Eiji has taken Hiro to a dangerous place in the building. He must be destroyed."

Loki was on guard now.

"What happened." She asked, her tone low.

"You had better tell me everything, or I'll rip your fucking head off, okay?"

He gave her a menacing glare, and continued.

"We had been looking for her. She was headed in a dangerous direction in the vents... Where tainted spiders had long since been locked away. She had fallen in the water upon releasing them, and was cold. Eiji had rescued her then, but now he has taken her to an upper office. A sanctum of the in between, where the head witch resides..."

Junichi froze.

"Yubaba... She's still alive!?"

This meant that she was indeed, a danger if disturbed. It was assumed that she had died with the tainted hoard. She must have half rejected, making her unhived from the hoard.

Not alive, and not dead.

Someone of her caliber half rejecting spelled disaster for all who awaken such a beast.

"We'd better get there fast!" Junichi exclaimed.

"Whatever she is now, if we don't get there, they'll be destroyed!"

Loki nodded, walking out of the palace, decked with guns and knives, armed to the teeth.

"Way ahead of you."

She held up her machine gun, and fifty caliber pistol.

"I've been saving these girls for an occasion like this..."

Junichi gaped.

Those were weapons from the human world. You couldn't just get those here...

This was going to get interesting.

...

Haku and Chihiro were in their shifted forms, faced with a big problem.

Yubaba was slinging attacks and tainted spells left and right, and Eiji had fallen into third stage.

Something was wrong though... Eiji should have regenerated any injuries in that stage...

There was a hole of sorts in his neck. It was black around the edges, and draining some kind of fluid...

He collapsed, falling back into second stage, then first...

His threads were inactive, and Yubaba began attacking him.

Chihiro shielded the blow, causing her to unshift. There was a gash in her arm...

She blocked the spell that Yubaba had just cast, and was holding it with her own.

Replays of Zeniba's death went running through Haku's mind...

That would not happen to Chihiro.

He unshifted.

"Yubaba." He said.

She looked at him, her eyes focusing long enough to break the spell, and let Chihiro get a hit in.

She clutched her arm, and Haku stepped in front of her.

"Go check on Eiji, and keep pressure on that arm." He said.

"I'll keep her busy."

He stalled by trapping her in water bubbles over and over again. He knew it would only make her mad, but it did buy time.

Chihiro was able to get Eiji and Hiro out of there, all while making sure her arm was wrapped. She was no good to anyone if she died of blood loss... And right now Eiji and Hiro needed to survive.

He stopped casting the water encasement spell when he was sure they had escaped to safety.

She lunged at him, leaving a search on his face as he dodged her.

She was in perfect range for his attacks. She was a midrange spell caster, and he was a master in midranges combat and spellcasting. Kaihn was a longer ranged spell caster, which was always a disadvantage for him.

This time he had the upper hand.

Haku impaled her with water spears, knocking her against the gaudy torn up wall.

She twitched for a moment, then got back up. Her body regenerating as she shifted into a bird.

The bird had the head and claws of tiger, though the fur pattern was feathered...

Haku kept somewhat of a distance... This changed things.

Shisuta, Haruka, and Karo entered the room. Boh had lifted them up, and stepped in.

"What is THAT!?" The three exclaimed.

Boh sighed. "That would be my mother..."

He pulled out his hammer and axe.

"Well, sorry mom."

He slammed his axe into her skull, blocking her claw strike with his hammer.

She twitched, and started to move, and Karo started slamming her head in with a his hammer.

"That's your MOM!?" He exclaimed.

"Holy shit! She's scary!"

Boh laughed. "Yeah... She's always been pretty scary anyway."

She got up, and lunged at Karo. Boh blocked her off, and Haku trapped her again.

"She did that to me as well." Said Haku.

"But I was hoping that would have killed her... This is bad."

She broke out, and he trapped her again.

Shisuta laughed darkly.

Kuhn and Linn came through the hole too, and saw the mess unfold.

They saw Yubaba.

They froze.

Kuhn sighed. "Oh shit..."

Linn nodded. "Yeah... It's bad."

Shisuta walked up to Yubaba. She laughed maniacally as Yubaba broke out, and slammed her into a wall. Her scorpion tail deflected the magic she tried.

"Can you feel pain little bird...?" She asked, her voice had Shisuta, half Sasageru.

"I bet you can... You'll be begging me to kill you, you treacherous hag."

The woman let out a horrible bird screech as her eyes began to pour blood.

"Okay, enough. Just kill her." Said Boh.

"She is my mother, and I'd rather not see her be tortured."

Shisuta continued.

Boh walked up and smashed her head.

"What are you doing!?" He exclaimed.

She glared at him, then Yubaba woke up.

She swarmed above the ceiling, and Shisuta followed her, the aerial battle continuing.

Loki and Junichi entered.

Loki looked up, and grinned.

"Sasageru... It's been awhile..."

"Don't kill her!" Karo exclaimed.

"That's Shisuta, and yes, Sasageru is inside of her."

Loki gave a groan of dismay.

"Why is it always so complicated with you people!?"

Haruka sighed. "This team is fueled by complications and drama it seems..."

Both Haku and Junichi sighed.

"Tell me about it."

Loki pulled out her guns.

"Okay! Who here is the TAINTED WENCH!"

Yubaba flew down, to be met by Sasageru.

Loki shot her in the head.

"Don't worry, she's not dead." She said to Karo.

"It takes twelve silver bullets to kill a host of Sasageru."

Karo gaped. "Are you insane!?"

She shot Yubaba in the head twice with her fifty cal, and pointed her machine gun up in the air, firing off a couple rounds.

She laughed maniacally. "Yes, yes I am. Any more questions Kiddo's? Because I'm about to fuck things up in here."

Junichi took a few steps back.

"You might want to listen to her."

Yubaba stood and laughed.

"That won't kill me!" She growled

"No." Said Loki. "But it felt good."

She fired more rounds to her head, and attempted killing her again.

She became frustrated when her ammo started running low.

She pulled out a large gun from off her back. It might have been a rocket launcher...

"You know what? FUCK YOU! THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT OF YOU YOU CANKEROUS HAG!"

"Don't! You'll kill us all!" Haku yelled.

"Then back the HELL UP!" She screamed.

Kahn stepped in.

He saw Yubaba as a half tainted, and Loki with a high grade rocket launcher.

"Holy SHIT!" He pulled out his crossbow, and shot Yubaba, letting her body dissolve.

Loki's eye twitched.

She walked toward him.

He put his hands up.

"Okay... Before you say anything... Put the military rocket launcher away please."

She did.

She walked up to Kahn, and floored him.

"You kill sniped... I take offense to that."

She jumped down the hole, and walked away.

They all stood frozen in silence... Well...

That just happened.


	59. Chapter 59

Chapter 59: A Venomous Exchange

Hiro was waking up. She slowly opened her eyes.

Then sat up, remembering the recent danger. She felt light headed, and lacked energy.

Kuhn layer her back down.

"Try not to move around hun..." He said.

She nodded, too tired to argue.

"Where's Eiji...?" She asked softly.

Linn looked down. "He's resting, and he needs sleep."

They were hiding something, and this only made Hiro more worried.

"What happened." She said.

"Where is Eiji?"

Kuhn sighed. "Well, there was an outbreak of tainted spiders, and we managed to kill them all... But Eiji was bitten before we had gotten to him."

Hiro froze.

"Is he... He can't be dead, can he?"

"No, he's not dead." Said Linn.

"He isn't in good condition though..."

Hiro teared up.

"This is my fault." She said.

"If I hadn't been an idiot, and his in the vents, no one would have gotten hurt."

"Blaming yourself does no good." Said Kuhn.

"There's nothing you can do right now, and no one can change the past."

She looked away. "You're always telling me to take responsibility. Well, this is it... I'm responsible for this."

Linn sighed. "Not completely. It was Eiji's choice to run after you and into spiders... He was as reckless as you were."

She sobbed. "But I was reckless first! He shouldn't have to die because I messed up!"

Kuhn stroked her hair.

"Hiro... You didn't try to hurt him. None of us knew about the spiders... Sure, I would have scolded you for being reckless, but I wouldn't have guessed there were tainted spiders in our vents."

Hiro sighed. "I think Max may have helped with that part..."

Linn and Kuhn froze for a moment.

"Okay, what are you hiding...?" Asked Hiro warily.

Kuhn shook his head, and a tear slipped.

"You really are a lot like Kahn that way. He can always tell when something's up..."

Hiro sat. "Tell me what happened." She said loudly.

"He tried to attack Eiji." Said Linn.

Hiro sighed. "But he didn't hurt him? Well, if he's restrained somewhere, I'll talk to him."

Kuhn looked away. "He's dead."

Hiro froze.

"Who killed him..." She said darkly.

Kuhn's expression was blank.

"It was me." He said.

Hiro was frozen in a state of shock.

Her Dad? He killed Max!?

No... Not him. Her Dad wouldn't do that.

"No way..." She said tearfully.

"You did it because someone made you, right!?" She exclaimed.

"No! Please tell me you didn't do it!" She sobbed.

She cried silently.

Kuhn hugged her.

"Hiro, I'm sorry..." He tried.

She pushed him off.

"Go away."

She stood.

"I'm going for a walk."

"You need to rest." Said Linn sternly.

Hiro continued to walk away.

Linn stood in front of her.

"Hiro! SIT DOWN!" Linn yelled.

Linn had only ever really yelled at Hiro once. It was when she was eight, and had stolen a piece of jewelry for it's shininess. Linn had built a lot of patience since then...

The fact still held that when Linn ever yelled at Hiro, it was never for a bad reason.

Hiro stood. "No." She said.

"SIT DOWN." She said, her voice low.

Hiro burst into tears.

"Don't try to INTIMIDATE ME!" She screamed.

"I'm GOING ON A WALK!"

Linn grabbed her, and sat her down.

"No, you're not. You will stay right here, and if you think you can get past me? Young lady, you have another thing coming."

She sobbed. "This isn't fair!"

"This IS fair." Said Linn.

"What you did to your father? That wasn't fair. I've been watching as you disrespect him, and he tries very hard to make you happy. The only reason I haven't stepped in, is because sometimes you made sense. I was able to make a compromise happen."

Hiro looked down bitterly, but stayed silent.

"This is past the point of compromise. You can't just run off whenever you please, and treat your father like that. He didn't have a choice. Would you rather have Eiji die? All we wanted to do was protect him."

Hiro looked down.

"Can I go to my room then." She said monotone.

The moment Linn had mentioned running off, she stopped listening. The last time she had run off, it was because Lilith had bent everyone's will.

Linn hadn't implied that, but it's what Hiro heard.

Linn threw her hands up.

"Fine, go to your room. Just go."

Hiro walked out of the door, and to her room.

She closed the door softly, and sat down.

"I knew it..." She cried.

"They never forgave me for that... They never will."

 _I hurt his feelings... Dad tried to protect Eiji, and I shoved him away._

 _I bet he's crying right now._

 _Max was my friend, and I am angry..._

 _But why do I have to be so horrible!?_

 _Why can I never fix ANYTHING!_

 _I'll never be normal, or kind, or a good daughter._

 _I'm no angel. I'm just like a demon._

 _I'm still so angry, and too hurt to apologize... I'm so prideful, and stuck up!_

 _I don't deserve good parents... I deserve to live just like that sweet woman Mei did. I wish I could have given her my life, so I could be punished with hers!_

 _But Dad shouldn't have killed Max!_

 _...Get the fuck over it! You're such a stupid wench. You whine and complain about what's fair, while Eiji is DYING! THAT ISN'T FAIR!_

 _You aren't fair. You're just a needy stupid wench._

 _You should be dying instead of him! It should have been you HIRO!_

 _IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ME!_

She sobbed into herself, the tears only festering the malice toward herself.

"I should apologize."

She stood, and walked back to the room.

She walked up to her Dad, and hugged him.

"I'm sorry..." She said softly.

"I was horrible."

He wrapped her in a hug.

"No... You're not horrible. Thank you for apologizing."

He sobbed.

"I'm so sorry... I wish I didn't have to. I know he was your friend."

 _It's my fault that Dad is crying..._

 _I was so horrible to him, and he's not saying it to make me feel better._

 _I probably made him feel really guilty..._

 _I'm such a manipulative BITCH!_

 _I don't deserve such a good Dad._

She sighed. "Thanks for caring so much... You really are amazing."

 _That wasn't good enough! That was stupid._

"Of course I care..." He sniffed.

"You're my daughter, and I love you..."

 _He feels an obligation to me, because I'm his daughter. He loves me, but he won't forgive me._

 _He shouldn't, I'm a failure._

 _They all tell me that I'm still kind of a kid, and I shouldn't know everything yet._

 _Bullshit excuses to hide the fact that I'm so STUPID!_

She nodded. "I know, I love you too."

She found her mom in the other room, sitting and holding her head...

She was bawling, because she thought no one could see her.

Hiro sat next to her, and Linn jumped.

"Oh... Sorry Hiro."

She sighed. "Sorry mom... I already apologized to Dad."

Linn hugged her.

"Good... You know we only want to help you grow up to meet your potential... Your such an amazing girl."

 _What potential? I'm past it if I have any._

"I'm not that great..." She mumbled.

Linn shook her head.

"Nonsense! You are very smart, and very talented... You're issue is that you're not always rational, but that comes with time."

She smiled. "You're still a teenager, and they damnest of choices, you know?"

 _Why is she trying to make me feel special? I'm not smart, and even if I'm book smart, where has it gotten me? It's clear that I can't use what I've learned._

"Yeah, I try not to though... " She said, forcing a smile.

Linn sighed. "Don't feel to bad about it. Just ask us more, so we can help that rational part along okay?"

Hiro nodded. "Okay."

 _You don't have to try and hide it Mom. It's fine... I know that you want to protect me from my own reckless stupidity. You don't have to offer to think for me..._

She walked out of the room.

Linn could sense that look from a mile away. It was a look she had worn for a long time.

Hiro was chewing herself to pieces, a practice Linn had perfected until she had met Kuhn...

She had called herself every name in the book, before anyone else had thought of it...

If they even did.

She sighed. "I'd better talk to her later, and bring that up... Wouldn't want her doing what I did."

...

Hiro roamed around, and ran into Junichi.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"Fine." She said.

 _Horrible... I feel like I could die._

He gave her a look.

"You look miserable... You can't be fine, especially with all that's happened. You can talk to me you know..."

She smiled. "I'll figure it out, but thanks. You're not as big of an asshole as everyone says you are... Thanks."

 _I don't want to talk about it. I'll just play it off like I'm strong... No one will notice._

 _As if they ever did._

 _Oh SHUT UP! You stupid cow!_

She smiled. "See you later."

She walked away.

Junichi was worried now. Had she told him what was wrong, he wouldn't be worried.

It's when someone doesn't talk, that things have gotten to a lower place...

"I might want to keep an eye on her... Just in case."

...

She continued to roam again, and stopped at Eiji's room.

She cracked the door open, and saw him.

He was pale, and there were dark circles under his eyes. He was sweating profusely, and looked like he was in a lot of pain.

 _This was my fault... If there's anyone who deserves to live, it's him._

 _If there's anyone I don't deserve, it's him._

 _He deserves someone better._

"Hiro..." He whispered. "How are you...?"

She forced a smile. "I'm fine... How are you feeling?"

"Don't lie to me... There's no need for that." He croaked.

"You can tell me anything, remember? That still matters. I will never judge you..."

She teared up.

"I don't deserve you..." She whispered.

He smiled warmly. "Yeah you do... You are so beautiful, and wonderful... I just want to hold you every day, and make you feel happy inside..."

He was slightly delirious from painkillers no doubt.

He was being honest about his feelings, and Hiro knew it.

She gave him a soft kiss.

"You deserve a real angel, not me..." She sniffed.

"Don't do that. I'm sick, and I don't want you to go tainted on me."

The tainted curse. It was able to be removed by either a strenuous extraction spell, or a curse transfer.

"Did they try extracting it?" She asked.

He smiled. "You're voice is such a pretty shade of purple..."

She laughed. "You're high Eiji..."

He shook his head. "No... I've always been able to see sounds... I thought that everyone else could, until I figured out they couldn't. Hiro, did you know everyone has a frequency?"

She wasn't sure how much of this was delirium, bit she went along with it.

"No... I didn't." She said.

He sighed. "Well, my dad's is a cool blue. Mom's is a dark green, and sparks red when she's mad..."

Hiro was becoming more convinced of his ability.

"Shisuta's is violet like her eyes. Karo's and Haruka's are both light blue... Boh has a brown one... I always thought it was strange."

He frowned. "No-Face had a golden one... I kind of miss him."

He smiled. "Yours is purple, but it also has yellow in it... I look at yours a lot though..."

He looked up. "I wonder if I'll see No-Face, or maybe Zeniba... That little girl, Ami..."

Hiro shook her head.

"Eiji, did they try extraction!?" She exclaimed.

"I know Chihiro can cast that spell!"

He nodded slowly.

"Yeah... I was too tired, and almost fell asleep. She had to stop... That stimulant is way too much for me... I can't handle it at all. I know because I tried it once when writing sentences, and even a small amount is dangerous for me... Gave me a rash too..."

Hiro looked at him.

He had to live, and she wouldn't let him die.

A part of Fairy magic she had studied was the more grey magic, like curse transfers...

A pixie could cast it.

She leaned down, and gave him a soft and lingering kiss.

"Hiro... You shouldn't do that." He said.

She smiled at him, and a tear slipped.

"Don't worry about me..." She said softly.

He shook his head. "That's impossible, I can't not worry about you... Ask me to stop breathing..."

She sobbed. "I love you Eiji... And that's why I have to do this."

She shifted into a Pixie.

His eyes widened slightly.

"Hiro, what are you up to..."

She muttered the incantation for a curse transfer.

He sat, and tried to stop her, but she had already cast it.

She pressed a small hand to his head.

"Sleep." She said.

He fell unconscious, and slept.

She opened his window, and flew away from the Warrior's.


	60. Chapter 60

Chapter 60: Stacking Boulders on Glass

Haku and Chihiro went in to check on Eiji.

They had been very grave, but Chihiro was determined to save him.

"There's got to be some way to keep him awake!" Chihiro exclaimed.

"I'll look at my spells, and see. There is something, even oif I have to make it myself. I will not lose him again."

Haku nodded. "Neither will I. I'll look into it as well."

They walked in, and saw Eiji had fallen asleep.

Haku shook him. "Eiji, don't sleep." He said.

Eiji didn't budge.

"Wait..." Said Chihiro.

"Look at his face, he doesn't look sick at all."

Haku looked at him.

"Y-You're right! He looks better."

Chihiro sighed. "No one simply recovers from the taint... Hmm... I have a bad feeling."

Haku looked up thoughtfully.

"Well, I wonder of someone cast a spell on him. We should ask Shisuta if anyone has checked out any spell books..."

Chihiro nodded. "That's a good place to start."

They headed over to the Altar room, where Shisuta often spent her time.

She looked up at them, nose deep in a book.

"Oh, hello." She said pleasantly.

"What do you need? Here to delve into more knowledge? Something on river magic perhaps? Or possibly druidism..."

Haku smiled. "I might get back to you on that, but I have a question."

She nodded. "Ask me any question."

She seemed excited to share knowledge at the moment, and Haku hated to disappoint her.

"Has anyone checked out spell books recently?" He asked.

She groaned in dismay.

"That is your question!? This makes me sad... Yes, Hiro checked out a book on Fairy magic not but a week ago. It really is a rivoting read, and she had excellent questions... Unlike someone."

Haku looked at Chihiro.

"It could have very well been Hiro then..."

Shisuta looked at them.

"What happened now? Good god, not again..."

Haku sighed. "Afraid so... I think Hiro may have cast a curse transfer spell on Eiji, and likely the sleep spell that Kuhn knows. The only one Kuhn knows, and can cast using his physical energy."

Shisuta gaped. "Eiji's cured... Then Hiro..."

She stood. "Where is she!? If she's anything like Kuhn, and I've heard the stories, she'll reject it."

Chihiro took a moment to focus... She couldn't get a good read.

It wasn't as bad as when they had ran to the pit, so all Chihiro needed was an item.

"Can I see the spell book she used?" Chihiro asked.

Shisuta nodded, and gave her the book. She could definitely find things fast when of came to files and books.

Chihiro focused her energy on Hiro, picking up on residual energy from the book...

She was wandering farther out of the grounds. She was a pixie, and had begun to unshift.

She looked incredibly pale, and she was coughing up a lung... She was rejecting it. Hiro was very sick, so her mental barriers were severely weakened, allowing Chihiro to pick up on thoughts.

 _At least I'll die for something that's my fault..._

 _No, Eiji should have never suffered for my mistakes._

 _He needs someone who will keep him out of trouble... Even Chihiro said I was a bad influence on him. I am, aren't I? Why would they let me hang around him?_

 _I'm so stupid, and nothing but a waste!_

 _Eiji deserves an angel... I'm not an angel..._

 _I hope I didn't hurt him... I love him..._

 _God I love him..._

 _That's why I should die instead of him, because he's loved..._

 _I don't deserve love._

She collapsed.

Chihiro broke the scrying spell, and her eyes had been spilling with tears.

She looked at Haku.

"We have to get to her now, she's off of the grounds, to the west."

Haku nodded. "Right. Should we let Kuhn and Linn know now?"

Chihiro nodded. "That would probably be best."

...

Kuhn went in to check on Eiji. He had been pretty worried, and brought some of a different stimulant that might work better for him.

He was pretty important to Hiro...

Kuhn liked the kid too, not that he showed it well all of the time. He was his daughter's boyfriend after all... He couldn't like him too much!

He thought about how Eiji had kept her warm. He had removed her clothes, yes. However, the reason for it was clear, and she was covered with blankets near a fireplace. Not too close, or they would have caught.

Not to mention that he had kept Yubaba's attention long enough to keep Hiro concealed. With a tainted spider bite? This was a near impossible feat.

Well, maybe he should give him some credit. That was a respectable act, and deserves his thanks...

He walked in, and saw Eiji sleeping.

Eiji sat up abruptly, and Kuhn pulled out his Kunai. He was ready to throw it, when he saw Eiji wasn't tainted.

He put his hands up.

"Don't do that!" He exclaimed.

"I'm NOT tainted!"

Kuhn gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank god..."

"Where's Hiro, have you seen her!?" Eiji asked frantically.

Kuhn stopped. "Not recently, what happened!?"

Eiji stood. "She cast a fairy spell on me... Curse transfer, I think that's it. Then she put me to sleep with another odd spell."

That was a spell he had tried to teach her once... He never knew that she'd picked up on it.

Curse transfer was a fairy spell, and it allowed the caster to take in a curse, and cure anyone. The curse a fairy or pixie takes in can usually be cured with their own magic. It's only used as an emergency spell among the Fey, when the cursed one is about to die.

Hiro's ability to Fey shift gave her the ability to cast that spell.

The only difference is, fairy magic cannot cure the taint.

Haku and Chihiro ran into the room with Linn.

"Kuhn! Hiro's-!"

"I know." He said. "Eiji just told me what happened."

Chihiro nodded. "Then let's go, she doesn't have much time. Bring a stimulant, she'll need it."

...

Hiro was curled up on the ground.

She had never felt so low in her life... So miserable, and worthless.

She coughed, and she felt her lungs pull as blood leaked from her mouth.

"I'm sorry I wasn't better..." She said to no one.

"I really just wanted you to be proud of me again... I don't know what to do... I'm just so lost."

She sobbed, then began coughing again.

Every time she did this, it seemed more internal injuries were forming.

"I wish I had never ran away... Maybe then mom and dad could forgive me... Maybe I would have been better."

She felt tears spilling down.

"Who am I? I don't recognize myself anymore... Didn't I used to be smart? Who was I...?"

She sobbed. "I don't know..."

She coughed again, and her eyes fluttered.

"Don't let her fall asleep!" Linn exclaimed.

"M...Mom...?"

"I've got it." Said Kuhn.

"Dad...? How long have you been here?"

Her eyes shot open, and she was back at the Warrior's.

She was shivering, and she was in a lot of pain.

"I was there the whole time." Said Kuhn.

Linn was there, and she was crying.

Hiro teared up.

Usually when her parents broke down, she could regain herself quickly... Today everything that had built up had fallen through. It was almost staggering to her, when she realized just how long she'd held back. It had built over time, and festered into an uncontrollable monster.

Maybe Max had picked up on that.

She sobbed. "I'm s-s-sorry I make y-you all cry s-so much! I d-didn't mean to hurt anyone..."

Kuhn pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"No... I just wish..."

A tear slipped. "I wish you would have told me about this... I had no idea that you had kept in so much for years..."

He sobbed. "Hiro... There will never be anyone like you to me. I know your mom is having your sisters, and they'll be just as special... They'll all be different."

He continued to cry.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you? If I lose you, I'd never forgive myself, because it would mean I had failed you as a father... I want you to grow up, and have your own kids one day... You'll be such a wonderful person when you get your head in the right place, I promise."

Hiro cried. "You aren't j-j-just saying that, r-right!?"

The stimulant made her yell sometimes.

Linn shook her head. "You know, believe it or not? I was your age once... Yeah, you can make very questionable, and seemingly pointless decisions... But I remember thinking, 'It's so obvious, I stole the extra noodles to practice my cooking! They should be happy, since they mock me all the damn time! I shouldn't get in trouble as long as the food's good.' Yeah... The food was good, bit I still got in trouble. Sometimes we mess up, just because we haven't learned not to. No one hates you because you screw up, and no one looks down on you."

Kuhn smiled. "You could steal money from beggars, and I'd still love you... But, don't do that... That's kind of shity actually."

"Or kill a bus full of nuns?" Linn added.

Kuhn gaped. "What!? Well, that too... Where did you get that one!?"

Linn looked to the side... "Um... An adult book store..."

Kuhn turned pale. "Seriously?"

She nodded. "Yeah! I didn't get into it or anything, but it was funny as hell! You should have seen what they did with the nun's, I mean holy... This isn't appropriate for children is it."

Kuhn slapped his pale to his face.

"Oh, you think!?... Which bookstore?"

Hiro laughed, then grabbed her chest as pain shot through it.

"Ugghnn... Wh-What the hell!?"

She coughed violently.

Chihiro walked over. "Sorry, but this can't wait any longer. It's bad enough that there's no wound to extract from..."

Chihiro looked over at them.

"Are you staying for this?"

They nodded.

Hiro froze at that comment.

"I-Is it g-going to hurt!?" She exclaimed.

Kuhn sighed. "Yeah... I can't lie to you there."

He held out his hand.

"Squeeze if it hurts too much, and don't fall asleep..."

She nodded. "O-Okay..."

Chihiro had started the process, and Hiro had felt the worst pain she had ever experienced. She squeezed her Dad's hand, and gritted her teeth. She knew she had a weak stomach, but she didn't want to throw up this time, for fear it would make this worse.

Another surge of pain, worse then the last, and her chest lurched in the air.

She let out a painful gasp, and squoze his hand again... She dug her nails in.

She felt bad, but she was in extreme amounts of pain.

She gritted her teeth, and felt like all of her organs were being ripped out of her chest with rusty bladed pliers. Foam spilled out of her mouth as she let out a noise of pain.

The next one felt like the pliers, but with barbs and lemon juice soaking into her flesh.

She let out a horrible scream, and her eyes fluttered.

Kuhn put his hand on her shoulder, and shook her hard.

"Don't pass out." He said.

"Squeeze my hand as hard as you need to, but don't you dare fall asleep..."

She let out another scream as she continued to squeeze his hands, digging her nails in, and clenching her fingers and toes...

Anything to distract her from this horrible pain.

She choked on her own vomit a the next bout of extraction magic surged in her.

"Wh-Why can't I SLEEP!?" She screamed.

"Please! J-Just MAKE IT STOP!"

She let out another scream as she continued.

"Just STOP! PLEASE!" She cried.

Another surge of pain, and more screaming as she squoze again, tensing her body.

"I'm sorry." Said Chihiro.

"I have to do this, or you'll die... I'm really sorry..."

She sobbed. "Please tell me you're done..."

Chihiro put down her hands. Hiro tried to pull away, but Kuhn and Linn held her down.

"No! NO! STOOOPP IIT!"

She let out another scream.

This continued for another hour.

Hiro had stayed awake for four, and this was the longest hour...

It got to a point where her screams were silent cries, partially because her voice was gone, and partially because it was actually that painful.

Having no wound to extract this from, made it at least ten times more painful than when there was an opening.

You couldn't just make an incision, because the wound itself has to be the source of infection.

That would just be cutting her, before hurting her.

Chihiro was on the last spell, and Kuhn had been holding her still, assuring her that they were almost done.

Chihiro had finished, and Hiro vomited heavily into the garbage can provided.

She let out a sob, and curled up into Kuhn...

He held her, and Linn held her close as well.

She cried into them, shaking, and not wanting to move...

Linn was stroking the back of her hair.

"You did really well..." She said softly.

She raked her fingers across Hiro's back. Something that had soothed her since she was small... It still did, even now.

Her crying became softer, and she began to feel tired.

"You're very brave..." Said Kuhn.

"You're definitely my daughter..."

This made her smile. She had wanted to hear that for a losing time...

She fell asleep.

Shisuta took a blood test, to see if there was any traces of the sickness left. Trace amounts could be extracted painlessly through alchemy.

There was none... Her blood was clean.

Clean of everything.

"No way..." Said Shisuta in awe.

"What?" Asked Kuhn and Linn in sync.

Shisuta shook her head.

"There's no stimulant in the results. My guess is, she sweat it all out early on. Even with powerful stimulants, it's hard to overcome the brains need for sleep... Especially under such circumstances."

Kuhn stared wide eyed at the sleeping Hiro.

"You mean she stayed awake on pure willpower?"

Shisuta nodded. "Yes, that's right."

Linn smiled. "Now that's my daughter..."


	61. Chapter 61

Chapter 61: Huntress?

Hiro was just waking up, and she was surprised to see her Dad on the ground next to her bed, sleeping.

She looked out of her window, and out was early afternoon. It was sunny out, amnd the grass was growing green again.

Hiro smiled. "Well it's about time..."

Kuhn stretched, and rubbed his neck painfully.

"Uggghnn... Morning..." He said sleepily.

She looked at him, and shook her head, laughing softly.

"You know you didn't have to stay here... My floor is wooden... Ouch."

He laughed. "I might have left, if you would have let go... You have quite the grip young lady! I had to sleep there, because you wouldn't give up my hand."

He sighed happily. "Oh well, I've done all kinds of weird things in my sleep..."

He stood. "Well, I'd better get this fixed."

Hiro saw his hand as he tried to leave.

"Dad! Your hand!... Did I do that? I am so sorry!"

He sighed. "Don't worry about it, I just hope I helped some..."

He walked away, and thought for a moment.

He had done the same thing when his mother died.

Kahn was fairly devastated, and even Kaihn showed having issues with it, because he was silent.

Kuhn had been extremely devastated, because between himself and Kahn, Kahn had started shutting down, and training more. Kuhn spent some of his time training, but most of his time taking care of his mother.

He remembered before she died, and she expressed her sorrow for his brothers.

She would have never died willingly, and tried hard to stay around for them... Kuhn was convinced she had died of a broken heart. He remembered not moving when he saw her disappear, her sheets still warm from where she had been...

He shut down for a few days, and just didn't move...

Kahn found him in this state, and had figured out the rest. It was the first time Kuhn had seen him cry in years...

And the last he'd see anything from him in a while.

They were almost seventeen then...

Kuhn had been sleeping on the ground, and Kahn tried to get him to move. Kuhn grabbed his hand, and didn't let go the whole night... Kahn, unable to escape, slept there with him...

"Are you okay?" Linn asked.

Kuhn jumped. He had been standing there for a while.

He sighed. "Yeah... Just going over old memories..."

Linn gave a look of concern.

"I'm sure you were... You just looked so sad. I mean, you space off a lot, but this looked different."

He nodded. "It was."

She gave him a hug.

"This is hard for you, because I know it's hard for me... It hasn't been an easy patch of months... Or years."

Kuhn leaned into her.

"It's been rough... But we're parents, it's always rough in some way."

Linn smiled sadly. "Yeah, but this has been hard. There's always a chance we'll lose someone, even ourselves... It's horrifying."

He kissed her softly.

"It won't be you as long as I'm around... You have three little lives to worry about."

He continued to kiss her.

"You're dress looks beautiful by the way."

She laughed. "I wore this because nothing else fits!"

He smiled. "You'll grow a lot earlier of course, because of there being more than one..."

She sighed. "Yeah... It's been five months now. Chihiro is convinced they're girls..."

He laughed. "You know the curse of girls though... They'll all look like me."

She scoffed. "You just wait, they'll all be boys, and look just like me dammit!"

He nibbled at her ear.

"That's fine... Maybe they'll be more polite like me... And not swear so much."

She gave him a half playful shove.

"You're such an ass!" She yelled.

He burst out laughing.

"That was awesome!"

She rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Kuhn, sometimes you really make me wonder... You damn fool."

She was about to walk away, when she tripped on a loosened floorboard.

Kuhn caught her, and stifled a scream as she landed on his hand. It was a minor break before...

Now it really hurt.

"I am so sorry!" She exclaimed.

"That looks really broken Kuhn..."

He breathed slowly.

"It's fine..." He cringed.

Linn and Kuhn got over to Kahn so that hand could be healed.

Kuhn sighed. "Linn, you need to be more careful... I don't want you hurting yourself."

She looked down. "It's hard getting used to walking like this again... Not to mention I got so big so fast..."

They were in the upper halls next to a window. Linn looked at her reflection and sighed...

"I'm so huge... Kuhn? What am I going to be like at seven or eight months...? I'll be a mammoth."

Kuhn laughed. "No you won't! Well... You'll be bigger."

He gave her a soft and lingering kiss, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I think you're stunning... And I don't mind."

She gave him a soft kiss.

"You always were a gentleman."

He leaned her against a wall, brushing his lips against her neck.

She hardly noticed as they entered the vacant room, and Kuhn had already unhooked her bra.

"Yeah, and a good gentleman always knows how to please his lover..." He whispered.

Kuhn loved her just like he did when he first loved her...

If anything he loved her more.

Linn was always hopelessly falling for him, every day, as he was for her...

Embracing the warmth and pleasure of their bodies pressed together...

Like a mutual merging of souls.

Linn was relaxed, and Kuhn was pressing gentle kisses to her stomach.

He held his hand over where the little ones had settled, and stroked the spot with his thumb.

She smiled warmly. "You know they kick sometimes... They just started moving more recently."

He smiled. "I bet it's awful crowded, huh little one's?"

He felt a small hand press to his...

It stayed there for a moment, so Kuhn traced his fingers over it...

Linn smiled. "There they go again..."

He let his hand rest over the spot where the hand was.

He felt two more little hands, and possibly a foot, try to push against his hand.

He laughed softly. "They're definitely curious... You think they're already fighting over me?"

Linn laughed. "Yeah, I'm sure that's it..."

Kuhn pressed a soft kiss there, and sighed happily.

"You know? I don't think I'd mind more girls... Or boys. It will be interesting to see how they grow with each other..."

His mind drifted.

"I just hope they get along... I know this might sound incredibly crazy, but Kaihn wasn't always completely horrible. He was a coward, and a liar... He cheated a lot, and he was always hot tempered... He just seemed to get worse somewhere along the way."

Linn sighed. "No one comes out of the womb hating people... It just evolves it seems."

Kuhn felt a pang of worry.

"We really should talk to Hiro more about... Well, anything. Kaihn acted up a lot. Sure, it was at an earlier age, but we didn't exactly have the best of role models. Our Mom tried, but never seemed very firm. She was always lonely, and only really paid attention when we made the effort. Our Father? Well, I wouldn't know..."

Linn smiled sadly. "Yeah... I knew both of my parents, but my mother never spoke to me... Or my sisters. It was only my father and Junichi... Even my father had a strained tie to me at best. Most of my sisters were being married off... When the business shut down, and my older sister Gina jacked the family savings and eloped with her lover... Things were tight. My own dad sold me to the bathhouse to be worked as a slave, so he could reap the profits I earned. I never knew they were sending back Junichi's letters from me, or that he came back for me."

She felt a tear slip. "You know it's funny... I always hated men for a while, but I never got along with women. They all seemed so petty and shallow..."

Kuhn could see she was disturbed.

He kissed away the tears that fell, and wrapped her in a hug.

"You are not shallow. You will never be shallow. Most of the women working there were greedy and had lost on an overbearing bet of one kind or another. Not all, but most. Even the men were like that..."

For a moment, Linn was surprised than he'd seen through her words.

But only for a moment... Kuhn had this way of reading her like an open book.

Kuhn smiled. "From the moment I met you, I knew you weren't like them... You were definitely feistier!"

Linn laughed. "You were such a bonehead! 'We're on official business.' While on break... Damn loveable fool."

Kuhn blushed. "Oh... So you remember that? Not one of my finest moments."

She sighed. "I thought you were a complete ass... Until that one time when we were flying, and you noticed how scared I was. I was surprised to find someone who would consider that important... I was really rude to you."

Kuhn grinned. "That's okay, our debates are always a turn on. I kind of like you fiesty anyway..."

He gave her a soft kiss.

She smiled warmly. "How can you know me so well, and look at me like you've never seen me before...? It's really amazing..."

He kissed her again, and smiled.

"It's not that... You just become a little more beautiful every day. I don't know as much as you'd think... Because I see more of you every day I'm with you, and I love every piece of it."

She leaned into him. "That was wonderful... Now be quiet. If you say something else, the moment will be ruined."

He laughed. "Well that couldn't have helped it!"

They both laughed.

Linn looked down, remembering Kuhn's comment concerning Hiro.

"Do you think we should all do something together? With Hiro I mean... What you said kind of worried me."

Kuhn nodded. "I think that it would be nice to all do something together for a change... And about that, I'm not overly worried. I just see some of the same patterns, that's all. She was never cruel, and never a coward or a cheater... She's lied a lot in the past, and acted up some. What I really noticed was that same lost look... You know, sometimes I wonder if we were partially to blame, Kahn and I. We never really tried to understand him, even when we were younger... He wasn't really evil. In fact? I remember a brief time when he was fairly timid... It was never really looked at or talked about. Those timid expressions didn't take long to turn bitter..."

Linn shook her head.

"You can't blame yourself for something that had started when you were a child... What could you have done that you would have understood? As far as I'm concerned, you were just as confused, and Kahn too. That's why you all acted the way you did, because you were children who were just as lost... It's horrible what Kaihn must have gone through, and I'm sorry, but I have no sympathy for him... In the end, we make the choice to become who we are. Kaihn made his decision, and lost what little respect I may have had, by hurting my children and my family."

Kuhn thought back to how Hiro was when they'd found her...

She couldn't have recovered from that yet.

He sighed. "You're right... Linn, I can't help but mourn some over Kaihn, but you're right... Hiro... And Eiji too. She said that he hadn't hurt her, but she had seen him hurt Eiji... I've seen his tactics, and that was off. He hurts all victims he has... He's never picked favorites."

Kuhn looked away.

"Now I'm worried. What could he possibly want with Hiro? She never really told us much..."

Linn looked at him.

"Then we'd better ask her. I don't like the sound of Kaihn favoring our daughter in any way... If I know anything about things like that, it's that they always come back. Guys as twisted as that would have no problems with obsessing over they're favored prize... The last thing I want, is for Hiro to be too afraid to come to us about some damn stalker. Especially him."

Kuhn nodded. "That's a good point. We should probably get dressed again, and talk to her soon..."

Linn felt her stomach growl.

"Let's do that... And also, I'm hungry."

Kuhn laughed, and gave her stomach another kiss.

"I think I'll do the cooking... Four mouths to feed is a big task, and I know your strange cravings."

Linn sighed. "Yeah... I just hope I can get the dress back on."

They got dressed, and Kuhn made her a chocolate Sunday with lettuce. Why did she want lettuce? He had no clue... He learned from the first time, to never ask.

He couldn't seem to shake that feeling with Hiro...

 _Kaihn..._

 _I have no idea what you want with Hiro._

 _What you've done to this family is absolutely unforgivable..._

 _However, I can't help but wonder why you've spared my daughter just now?_

 _What about those dreams? Those must have been endless amounts of torture._

 _But maybe not..._

 _She has never seemed so scarred as she is now._

 _Why would you hold back on her, or anyone else..._

 _It's just not like you._

 _(Wow... It seems your not completely clueless.)_

Kuhn froze, but kept his composure on the outside.

 _Kaihn! What the hell do you want with Hiro!? She has nothing to do with you... If I ever see you again, I will show you what real pain is!_

 _He laughed. (I don't think you have that capacity... Your lovely little daughter? Now... She could make something worthwhile. Such potential...)_

 _So that's your game... You want her as an apprentice._

 _(When did you decide to use that brain of yours? I'm shocked...)_

 _Shut up. Do you really think Hiro will buy any of this!? Believe it or not, she has a brain too. A good one._

 _(Good? Well, I wouldn't go that far. I would go far enough to say that she has a brilliant curiosity... Do you want to know what she thought when I revived the fallen angel, after cutting out his tongue... Drowning him in his own blood?)_

 _No. That's horrible. She was probably horrified... That's sick..._

 _(Yes... It was an almost horrified curiosity. She wanted to know why there was still blood in his lungs after I had restored him. She was examining my tactics... A good mind, even the most brilliant and anylitical, would have reached for a fallen friend. I've seen it many a time, and with Hiro? This was not the case...)_

 _She may have some problems when facing death, but... Wait, did you say blood?_

 _He laughed maniacally._

 _(NOW YOU GET IT! Yes, Hiro is supposedly afraid of blood... But why then, was she so fascinated when she dropped her guard, allowing herself to be exposed to it? I can tell you why, in all honesty... The answer may not be what you expect...)_

 _Damn you... You have my attention. What I believe is my choice._

 _(A well placed answer. Why do you think she falls into fit's of madness, using that club to bloody rooms? Why the Leviathan's favor both her and Eiji as Master and Mistress? That Leviathan who had imprinted on her had the right idea... They draw from similar powers.)_

 _Similar powers? You make no sense whatsoever._

 _(Hold on, I'm getting there... She seems afraid of blood. No... She's afraid of what of does to her. The only escape she allows herself is that boy, with blood mastery.)_

 _Eiji!? What does he have to do with this!?_

 _Kaihn tsked at him_

 _(So impatient brother...)_

 _You're no brother... You lost that right when you hurt my family!_

 _(That's fine... I'm going to finish what you so rudely interrupted now. She draws her power from this blood, and it's life force makes her stronger... Fits of madness only provide an escape for that thirsty mind that she's so foolishly neglected.)_

 _That doesn't make her a killer. At least she shows some self control. Even if what you're saying is true, she's stronger than someone like you can comprehend!_

 _(How long can this stubborn strength last... Even the most stubborn bull gives in to the slaughter eventually. She will break, this is inevitable. Even this so called love will cease to exist... She hungers for it every day, and so do I... Even the smallest pinprick can set me off, because even that can be enough to drain someone.)_

 _He laughed darkly._

 _(But what's the fun in that...? It was boring the first time. They don't squirm when they're weeping in bed.)_

 _Mother... You killed her? You..._

 _You were silent, ONLY TO ESCAPE SUSPICION!?_

 _Let me say that no one would have guessed! I don't know how someone could find PLEASURE IN KILLING THEIR OWN MOTHER!_

 _(I'm impressed you caught that... Not so oblivious any-)_

 _Shut the FUCK UP!_

 _(Would you rather me not finish my explanation, and just take her now? I'm sure she'd see reason when her mind is unclouded with your worthless morals... Eiji, that foolish boy. He hasn't even realized the extent of his problems... The further she breaks, the more she will hunger... A blood master is quite a satisfying fix. I took half of it myself! Then again... I tend to over indulge at times... I find it very ironic, that such a bond would form, when she is his natural predator.)_

 _Natural predator?_

 _(Such a young and supple meal... So inexperienced. I'm surprised no others have tried... Such power in such a reckless body and mind... Do not be fooled. As she grows more established in this thirst, she will find that she craves to be around him... Needs his presence... It means that she's getting hungry, for a taste that only a blood master can satisfy.)_

 _She is nothing like you!_

 _(She's EVERYTHING LIKE ME! Don't you understand!? I am very surprised she has taken this long to fall... It's quite liberating actually.)_

 _So you're accusing her of being a Vampire or something? I'm not sure if that's possible, sorry._

 _(Not a Vampire you idiot, a blood mage. The kind that seeks the power of the blood of others, instead drawing magic from their own... But yes, that is the dumbed down version you would understand. Much like the futile myths of these Vampire's, it's only a matter of time before she 'Turns', if we're really lowering this to such a level...)_

 _There's something you're not saying Kaihn! I know it..._

 _He sighed._

 _(Well don't expect me to point it out... I do want her as an apprentice after all.)_

 _Don't hold your breath... It's not going to happen._

Kuhn snapped back into attention, and jumped when he saw the others surrounding him.

"What the hell just happened!?" He exclaimed.

"Why is everyone here?"

Chihiro looked at him.

"You were frozen in a trance, and began talking. No one could shake you out of it, so I tapped into the conversation."

He sighed. "So I take it you heard most of it."

She nodded. "Yeah, I did..."

Eiji shifted nervously.

"I heard him say something about me... Where am I in this?"

Chihiro shook her head.

"No, not now... I'll tell you..."

He sighed. "You're not going to tell me."

"I'll tell you when I figure out how to tell you." She finished.

She looked at Kuhn.

"As for you? I'm afraid we have a lot to discuss."


	62. Chapter 62

Chapter 62: A Hand in Logic, No More Blind Conclusions

The four parents were discussing the conversation between Kuhn and Kaihn. Linn didn't know whether most of it was Valid or not. Kuhn was on the fence about everything, but wouldn't subject his daughter to any form of cruel treatment.

Haku and Chihiro had they're opinions as well.

"I think we should keep a better eye on them." Said Haku.

"None of these things would have been allowed to take place, if we would have just watched them more."

Linn sighed. "Yeah, but they would just try harder to escape our line of vision. They're teenagers, they'll try to push the boundaries we set, no matter what we do."

Chihiro nodded. "Linn has a point. I have a suggestion, and I don't think any of you are going to like it..."

Kuhn shook his head. "Don't mark it down just yet... No one's heard your idea."

She sighed. "I don't dislike Hiro, but the her and my son always stir up trouble... With this new conflict on Hiro's potentially dangerous blood trait, would it be such a bad idea to separate them?"

...

Hiro had been standing at the door.

She was well hidden, and listening. She had some dangerous blood trait? Not that she knew of...

Whatever it was, it was bad enough for Chihiro to want to separate them.

"You're right, I DON'T like that." Said Kuhn loudly.

"What do you think it would accomplish!? Separating them would only establish this fear you have for Eiji's safety. I think that their bond is what's kept them afloat."

Linn agreed. "It's ridiculous to separate those kids over something we don't fully understand! I won't accept anyone making Hiro feel like a monster!"

 _A monster...?_

"It's clear she's not a monster. " Said Haku calmly.

"She is, however, a threat to Eiji's safety at any rate. I don't like the idea of separating them, but it's the best idea so far... She's an unfamiliar breed of blood mage, that harnesses power from her victims blood."

 _Harnessed from blood... Of my victims...?_

"The fact that Eiji is a blood master, means that he will be her first target if she breaks."

Hiro backed away slowly.

 _They all think I'm a monster...?_

 _I would never hurt Eiji... Would I?_

 _No... No! No! NO! NEVER!_

She sat on the ground quietly and held her head in her hands.

"You keep talking as if she's some monster! Though you claim she's not!" Yelled Kuhn.

"She won't hurt him. She's has more will then any of you give her credit for... You were there when the tainted curse was extracted Chihiro. How can you sit there with that knowledge, and treat her like an animal with NO SELF CONTROL!?"

"She has her concerns!" Haku snapped.

"And as far as I'm concerned? They have never lead ANY one astray. She did NOT say that Hiro was a monster or an animal. She did say there was a high risk that things could go wrong. I suggest a temporary separation until we find out more about this blood trait."

Hiro was curled up into herself, crying silently.

She felt more like a freak every time they spoke. She had no idea why she was a threat to Eiji, but they were making this a scene...

She had never hurt Eiji, and she would never hurt him.

Shisuta appeared next to her.

She gave her a nod.

"I will fix this, you just stay quiet for now."

"Okay..." Hiro sniffed.

Shisuta had used assimilation to scope the situation, because Eiji had insisted she did. He had a bad feeling about where the conversation would go, and Shisuta now saw that it was justified.

She walked in the room.

"Here's a suggestion. All of you stop bickering like children, and I will figure it out!"

They were all silent.

"Why do none of you just ASK me to help you. I have a nearly infinite well of FUCKING KNOWLEDGE TO DRAW FROM! Yet you always insist on jumping to these baseless conclusions with little to no facts on the situation. THIS is why bad things keep happening, like we're in the middle ages! For god sake! If knowledge is all you need, no need to ostracize children until you can get it. I'm right HERE!"

They were silent for a moment longer.

Kuhn sighed. "Sorry Shisuta, I should have thought of that. I agree with her. This is no way at any time to treat a living, thinking being... And yes, it would ostracize her."

Linn took a breath of relief.

"Thank god... Finally someone who makes some damn sense."

"Alright then, that sounds fair." Said Haku.

Chihiro was silent.

She walked out of the room, and saw Hiro sitting there.

She felt her heart twist.

 _No wonder Shisuta reacted the way she did... This must have torn Hiro apart._

 _I shouldn't have implied what I did... When did I become so cold?_

"You can see Eiji whenever you want." She said softly.

She walked away.

Hiro saw that Chihiro felt bad about this... She was angry at her, but she had to appreciate the unlimited access she had given her to Eiji.

She wasn't going to thank her for it, because she was convinced that Chihiro hated her.

This hurt Hiro, but she'd never admit it to anyone else...

"I see..." Said Shisuta.

"Much like Eiji, she just needs the proper training... It will have to be very strict, and often strenuous. I am sure that will not be an issue for Hiro though. She is a Blood Syphoner, and they can only be trained by other blood syphoner's or blood mages. There is a positive and a negative to both sides... If she does not get the training she needs, she will slip into the negative user ways. Considering the situations we have been in, this is very plausible."

Kuhn nodded. "So there is a way she won't slip into that bad side... But where will we find a trainer?"

They were silent for a moment.

"There is one on the other border of purgatory... It is quite a dangerous trip."

Shisuta sighed. "The bad news? She will have to make the trip alone..."

"What!?" Kuhn exclaimed.

"What's the good news!?"

She continued. "The good news is that the trainer is the best of his kind, and Hiro will prove an excellent student, if she makes the trip... It is somewhat of a prerequisite. All blood mages can make the trip... I am sure she will run into a helpful soul."

Linn sighed. "Then I guess we get her ready for it."

"You may want to start now then, she's been listening the whole time... Your words were commendable, but you should consider the way you say things always."

Kuhn stepped outside, and looked at Hiro. She was sitting next to the door, and her back was against the wall...

He knelt down. "I hope I didn't hurt you..." He said.

She hugged him. "No..." She whispered.

"You really are my hero... Even when I complain about it."

He wrapped her in a firm, and warm hug.

"You too kid... You really are a champ. You've got my strength, and your mother's willpower... You'll be okay..."

She could tell he was torn apart over her having to go alone.

She pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"I'll come back this time." She said.

"I promise."

He sniffed. "I know... I can't help worrying though."

She smiled. "Well, I've got a giant club, and Junichi's been training me... Add blood magic? Well, I'll be a complete badass!"

He laughed. "That's the spirit!"

He smiled warmly at her.

"I couldn't ask for a better daughter... And I'm sure you and your sisters will all give me white hair one day. Oh well..."

Hiro laughed. "You with white hair!? Dad, no need to get too old. I'll have to start calling you old man, and bringing you your cane!"

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah, not happening."

They both stood.

"I'm going to see Eiji before I have to leave, okay?"

He nodded. "That's fair... Go on then."

Hiro walked over to Eiji's room. She cracked open the door, and saw him sitting on his bed. He stood when he saw her.

He wrapped her in a hug, and held her close to him.

"Don't ever think that you don't deserve me..." He sniffed.

"I love you too."

He kissed her softly. "And I will keep on calling you an angel, until you figure it out on your own."

She sobbed. "I hurt you didn't I?"

She cried into him.

He pulled her in, trying to comfort her.

They sat on his bed, and she leaned into him.

"I'm sorry..." She said softly.

He shook his head. "No, I'm just sorry I couldn't be there with you... You were in so much pain..."

She gave him a gentle kiss.

"I'm okay... We're both okay, and that's what matters."

He kissed her softly, becoming more passionate as it continued. Her hands were raking up his back as he leaned into her. She brushed her lips against his neck, nipping softly at his ear.

Her hand slid up his chest, which was very sensitive.

He let out a low breath.

It was very hard not to keep going...

He kissed her neck, and bit it softly.

She let out a soft moan, which only drove him closer...

Her hand was sliding lower...

He caught it.

"Hiro... We really shouldn't." He breathed.

She gave a frustrated groan.

"I know... But... Eiji..."

 _I REALLY want to give in..._

 _But I can't. We really are too young, but..._

 _Hiro..._

He couldn't help but lean in, and kiss her again...

"This isn't easy for me..." He whispered.

"But technically we're still kids. We should wait until we're older... We have time."

She looked away. "About that... Well, I'm going to be leaving for a while."

His eyes widened. "What!?" He exclaimed.

"Why are you leaving!? Can't I come with you? Is this even allowed...?"

She sighed. "Yeah... I have to go alone. I have no choice, an my parents know... Apparently I'm a blood mage, and need to make a long trip for my training. Only blood mages can make the trip..."

Eiji looked at her. "Well, I'm a blood master, which is a kind of blood mage. I could go with you, and also get training."

"Huh..." She said. "I never thought of that."

He looked down. "I hope my parents don't stop me..."

She gave a depressed sigh.

"Yeah... They'll probably try... We should probably come up with a really good explanation."

They discussed it for the next hour, until they settled on an answer.

Shisuta laughed softly to herself.

"Those kids... Always in a package it seems."


	63. Chapter 63

****This story is getting long... I hope you're all still reading. I'm considering labeling a part one and two when I'm finished. I don't know, tell me what you think. I enjoy where this is going, and I have lot's of ideas.**

 **I hope that everyone is satisfied with this story.**

 **I will keep on writing until I'm finished.**

 **Enjoy Chapter 63! :)****

Chapter 63: Shifting the Odds

Hiro and Eiji had finally settled on an explanation.

"That's the one." Said Hiro.

"We'll tell them that we both could use the training, and because you're my friend and a blood mage, it would make perfect sense for you to tag along."

Eiji nodded. "That's a good idea."

Shisuta walked in. "No! That is awful, and they will point out all of the flaws! Here, let me help you..."

They jumped when she entered.

Eiji was red. "Um... How long were you listening to us?"

She shrugged. "I started listening when I heard Hiro explain that she was leaving."

They both let out a sigh of relief.

"That's good..." Said Eiji.

Shisuta looked at them warily.

"There's not something I should know about, is there?"

Eiji and Hiro gulped.

"Nope!" They said in sync.

Shisuta shook her head.

"I will drop the subject... But..."

She gave them the look. An all knowing dark and scary look that she knew would frighten them a little.

"Be warned... If anything happens while you two are off and about... I will know. I have the tools to find out, so no breaking the rules... Or else."

Eiji gave a sharp nod.

"Okay! Sounds fair... Please don't kill me."

She sighed. "Just tell them that Hiro has a better chance with someone else there. Then Hiro, tell them that you would feel better if you did not have to go completely alone. Then you can mention that Eiji could also receive training... It is best to have a well set up explanation, because it leaves less room for your parents to disagree."

She walked out of the room.

When she was out of earshot, she burst into laughter.

"I cannot believe they fell for that! To think they believe I can check on them on a whim!? How ridiculous!"

...

I was completely brain fried, and holding my pen in a shaking hand.

My head was half rested on my desk, and I felt like I was going insane.

"It's always something... The odds are NEVER stable. Nothing makes sense, and I'm running out of time and options... Yet I have nothing. Nothing at all..."

I'm always talking to myself now... It's the first sign of insanity, or so they say...

Shisuta walked into his office.

"You look exhausted..." She said.

I sighed. "It's nothing."

Shisuta sat next to me.

"It is obviously not nothing... Can you tell me what happened?"

I let out a defeated groan, letting my head fall to the table.

"It's everything Shisuta, and it keeps happening. I have to set up the logistics and strategies, yet the board keeps changing, and grey cards are constantly being slapped on my desk! Then there are the larger factors, which are complete unknowns... I'm working with scraps, and being forced to count out the unknown factors..."

Shisuta shook her head.

"You should have said something sooner. What are the unknowns?"

I looked at her.

My eyes went wide. "That's right! You DO still have that well of knowledge!"

He pulled out his papers.

"Well first off, I need to know what the forces look like in the heavens. Second, I need to know who Shinjitsu is and if he has any connection to the heavens. The last thing, look at prophecy and see if you can find anything on the throne. Who is on it, who is to claim it, and so forth."

She nodded. "I will get on that now..."

Her eyes closed, and she was searching in her well, looking for the right information.

It was amazing she could navigate such a vast library of knowledge. Even without this well, no one could doubt that she was an anylitical and alchemical genius. Her skills in research were remarkable...

It takes ones soul to gain this amount of knowledge... It takes true skill to be able to utilize it.

She opened her eyes.

"That definitely changes things." Said Shisuta.

"Shinjitsu was offered a spot on the throne if he were to defeat the rebels in prophecy... Us. He has known about this since the prophecy has unfolded. A disadvantage. The heavens do not intend to keep their and of the bargain. We could use that. I also found that Shinjitsu has been known to hollow his soldiers. A forbidden art that allows complete and permanent control over the left over shells... Basically vessels. I don't doubt he did that to those children... The forces of the heavens are surprisingly slim. It seems as if they are hoping we don't make it that far... Something is amiss with the golden city... Yes..."

She seemed to pick up on something.

"Like a key slot... For destruction..."

Her eyes widened.

"Kahn! You cannot go through with this!"

He looked at her. "Why not? I need to know. There may be a way around it, if you give me the information I need."

She shook her head. "All of the information in the universe does no good if the facts are inevitable. Kahn, the heavens are not prophesized to be ruled... They are prophesized to be purged. There is no more after that... It ends. I hate to say this, but if we destroy the head, the body dies."

I froze.

"Are you sure it means the end if we do?"

She sighed. "All I know is that when I read the prophecy... It ended. It was inscribed on a stone wall somewhere in the heavens... This wall tells what is to be, and it's words are names of events in history and in the future. If we go on with this siege, that wall will tell our tale."

I went pale.

"Then... What was all of this for? Can't we do anything!? We can avoid destruction if we know what not to do!"

She teared up. "Afraid not... The only way to open the gates, is to open them with a key. The gates are locked to the living. The moment the gates are breached, everything is lost... Everyone in the city is like a circle of bombs, surrounding the core, waiting for the moment when they can explode. If they are aloud to fulfill their purpose, the core dies. The core consists of nine high priestesses, each with the core of a universe in their brain... Splitting off to other realms of possibility... Endless lives in endless scenarios..."

Some blood trickled from her nose.

"The mass is approximately..."

More blood...

"It's just so..."

I shook her.

"Shisuta! This is too much! Stop thinking for a moment!"

She shook her head, and began shaking.

She threw up in the garbage can next to my desk, half of the vomit was blood.

"L-Like gatekeeper's of destruction..."

I put my hands over her head, and healed any damage she may have caused herself.

She breathed in and out slowly.

"You need to be more careful." I said softly.

"Too much knowledge in one space all at once... It's to much for a mortal mind to handle. You need to be careful. As for the gatekeepers... Well, they seem to be the main issue. I won't ask you to do this now, but I need you to find a way to breach the core without using a key. We have the dreamstone Amulet, which can get us to the gates. I want you to find something that will get us inside."

Shisuta thought for a moment.

"Or perhaps access to the link... An intricate network between the nine, all woven into a central containing... Containing..."

Blood came shooting out of her nose, and leaked out of her mouth.

I healed her again.

"You need to stop that!" I exclaimed.

"Must I watch you to insure you don't kill yourself with this knowledge!? I will if it comes to it."

She was shaking.

"I c-can't stop... I CAN'T STOP IT!"

I grabbed her shoulders.

"What do you mean you can't stop!?"

"The center is all one... Together... Yet separated by... There's this tie that morphs it... And... And it..."

More blood.

I was in a constant state of healing her.

"Shisuta! Just try to calm down!"

That's it... I could use my eyes to calm her.

"Look at me..." I said.

She did, and her eyes focused.

She spoke.

"There is a way to obtain the core... It is like the beating heart of existence, and yet it is also a seed that has yet to beat... The seed of a tree that has long died. It is life... It is death... It is not, yet it is all. Intangible to mortal eyes, only one who relates to the seed, shall own it as her own heart... Beating within her like a dying rebirth. She who will travel the roads of it's hollow everything, and find the meanings of nothing... Giving the nothing a form, and existing purpose, which it knows not."

She smiled sadly. "It knows all but one, which it needs... She has the one, but knows not the roads. Nourished in the baffled beams of darkness which masks the shifting seed, yet wants for hands to pull her in... The one who wanders, unknowing of her purpose. The seed that knows, but cannot wander... This is the curse of this core, yet a shadowed blessing, for it is unaware of it's surroundings... Forever pulling as a subconscious, which holds the conscious existence."

She gave a look of sad knowing.

"We all have the one, but in the end, only one can give it, and therefore receive the throne. Only she who makes the journey, will be one with the seed."

Those last words clicked for me.

"You say a woman will become one with this core when she finds it... She'll then have domain over everything. What happens to the rest of us when she does this?"

Shisuta's gaze seemed more penetrating by the second.

"That is her choice."

Shisuta collapsed, and fell unconscious on the ground.

I shook her. "Shisuta, Shisuta!? Are you alright!? Please wake up..."

She shifted, muttering to herself. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Wh-What happened...?" She asked tiredly.

I was relieved she didn't retain any of that.

"You passed out." I said.

I stood her up before she could see any of the blood she had shed.

"Let's get you to bed, and you should really try to rest."

She nodded slowly. "Okay..."

Luckily, she was too out of it to notice the blood on her clothes.

I took her to the altar room, which is connected to her room.

Karo saw us walking in, and stopped.

"What happened!?" He exclaimed.

I shook my head. "Not now... Get her resting, and we'll talk."

He looked extremely worried, but listened to what I said.

He got her to her room, and made sure she was sleeping before he left. Apparently it didn't take long.

"Are you going to tell me now?" He asked.

I nodded. "We were trying to discover what the heavens forces were, and we discovered that if we were to even breach the gates... Well, it would be an ending of sorts... No, just the end. We would destroy everything."

Karo went pale. "Are you serious...?"

I sighed. "Yes, I am. However, she told me about this core at the center of the golden city... All I can say is that it is literally everything. And that the city and core is destroyed if we breach... The rest of the information was so intense, it was destroying her... I'm just glad she didn't remember any of it."

Karo looked very scared.

"That amount of knowledge can do that? She has access to literally EVERYTHING!?"

I looked down. "That's right. She can't be allowed to know about what she said, or what I've told you... She can't try that again."

Karo nodded. "I agree... What did she say anyway? Did you get any of it?"

I gave a deep sigh.

"Some of it was too abstract to comprehend, and the rest is too out there to even attempt explaining... You would have to have been there."

He looked down.

"Damn... What do we do?"

I had no clue. I had this horrible feeling that this whole journey was one complex mistake, built off of little mistakes...

One mistake...

One seed...

Roads and paths...

"That's it!" I exclaimed.

"What's it?" Karo asked in confusion.

I shook my head. I can't explain it now, but I think I know where to go from here."

I started pulling down books on enchanted artifacts, and the dreamstone. The dreamstone amulet allowed the user to travel anywhere that exists, besides the core.

Shisuta had said something about aspects of nonexistence within the core, so maybe that's why it was impossible to breach that way.

The dreamstone allows for knowledge to be shared through moments of scrying... It can also be used to summon objects and creatures from different realms, so long as you know what they are...

Combined with the amulet, it opens portals to the creatures you intend to summon, and can teleport you anywhere else.

...What if I could use the dreamstone amulet, to open a portal into the world of the seed.

I could do this by summoning the seed as a living object... Yes! That way it is accurately called upon as neither living, nor dead, as Shisuta described.

We would have to prepare for every possible situation. I have no idea what we'll find in there...

I closed the book.

"I hear that Hiro is traveling soon. In her absence, I want everyone else to train as well. We may be facing the strongest trials in existence, so I suggest we all prepare."

Karo nodded. "Right. I think we should gather the others, and start trying to make out whatever it is you've discovered."

I nodded. "We will, but for now there is the issue of preparing Hiro... Let's make sure she has everything she needs."

I felt a pang of worry.

"I don't like the idea of her going alone... I know she'll pull through, but..."

Karo sighed. "Yeah... I'm going to miss her. You'd think I'd enjoy some peace and quiet... I've kind of gotten used to the noise."

Karo's mind seem to switch to something urgent.

"Wait, what about Shisuta? You said the knowledge almost destroyed her... Should we bring her to the meeting? Kahn... Is this a good idea?"

I looked down. Good point...

"We may have to have Chihiro put a seal on deeper knowledge. She can't be allowed to access something so lethal... It might kill her the next time she does it."

Karo nodded. "I was thinking of suggesting that to her anyway... I thought that maybe having too much of that well open was dangerous. My fears were Sasageru, but I never imagined this..."

I didn't think that anyone could access such knowledge... I was very worried about this, but right now, Hiro needed to be ready for a long trip. I would handle that first, and then handle the situation with Shisuta.

Sealing parts of her well was a delicate matter. My guess?

It would not bode well with Shisuta.

 ****I've decided to make a third story, because this one is really long. It's not over yet, but I'll make sure to end it in a way that's interesting. ;)****


	64. Chapter 64

****Hell readers. This cold has been last forever... I have been really tired, and for the most part, unable to think clearly enough to write. I have the next chapter written, sorry for the wait...**

 **Enjoy Chapter 64! :)****

Chapter 64: Farewell to Warrior's, Journey to the Blood Roads

Hiro and Eiji were bantering among the pair of worried parents, and there were opinions on all sides.

"I think it's dangerous." Said Haku.

"Though I can't argue that training from an actual blood mage trainer would be beneficial..."

Chihiro sighed. "I don't know... Isn't Loki training him? Then there's also the fact that the blood mages they run into may not be the friendliest."

"Which is exactly why traveling in pairs could be life saving." Said Kuhn.

"It's true." Said Linn.

"Eiji wants to help Hiro, Hiro doesn't want to be alone... I don't blame her. Honestly? I'm okay with it."

"Remember, Hiro has no choice." Said Haku.

"Eiji has a choice, and that's why we're less okay with it. It's noble, but risky at best."

Chihiro was silent for a moment.

"He can go." She said.

Haku stared at her.

"Are you serious? We're just, letting him go?"

She looked down.

"We pulled a LOT of risk cards to get where _we_ are... Don't forget the battles at the bathhouse. Sometimes we get so caught up in keeping our kids protected, we forget how they're growing... We forget when it was us, and we were fighting for someone... How big a risk seems until your loved ones are dying in front of you."

She looked at Eiji.

"This is what you'll be facing if you go with Hiro. The constant chance that one of you will die... I can't hold you back forever, so this is your decision."

Haku nodded. "That's fair, I stand by your mother's decision."

Eiji nodded. "Alright then. I'm going with Hiro... I couldn't let her go alone, even if I wasn't a blood mage. I would try."

Haku sighed. "Very well..."

The parents gathered their kids and prepared them for their journey.

I didn't expect Eiji to be leaving as well.

Tira was sitting alone, her eyes stained with tears.

I sat next to her.

"They'll be alright." I said.

She sobbed. "Yeah, but... I'm really going to miss them!"

I sighed. "Yeah... Me too. Hiro is my niece you know, excellent at chess. She hasn't had the chance to do that much lately, because of all of the things that pile up... I would have liked to see if she could beat me before she left."

I laughed. "Not that I would have made it easy!"

She smiled. "Yeah, Hiro's awesome! She's just the coolest! She's so brave and powerful, and, and... Well, just awesome!"

Her face fell. "She showed me that I really matter at least somewhere... She completely changes the way people look at things sometimes, and then she thinks so little of herself... It makes me worried."

I smiled. "I'm not worried about that. She'll figure it out... She's a smart girl."

...

Eiji was sitting in an armory, waiting for his mother to finish sewing. It sounded strange, and to Eiji? It was very strange.

"What am I waiting for?" He asked his father.

Haku smiled. "You'll see."

Eiji scoffed. "You've said that for the past thirty minutes... When will I see?"

Haku laughed. "Be patient! You are just like your mother that way, always wanting to jump ahead, and quick to rash decisions."

"I heard that." She mumbled.

He grinned. "I'll make it up to you later."

Eiji cringed internally.

 _No! Bad imagination! ...Okay think positive. That's not what he meant._

Chihiro laughed. "You'd better! And hey... Sometimes you like my fighting style!"

Haku laughed. "Well, should we spar then, for old times sake?"

 _Sparring... Right. No! Bad!_

 _BAD IMAGINATION!_

 _Okay... None of that._

 _He probably meant actual sparring._

Chihiro grinned. "Okay, but this time Kahn gets to join us."

 _NO! That IS what they meant!_

Haku went red. "Don't bring THAT up! Besides, it never happened."

She laughed. "Hey, you never know! Linn may or may not have pictures."

"You guys!" Eiji yelled.

"Just please stop talking!"

Haku laughed. "Oh, sorry Eiji! I think we've sufficiently scarred the boy..."

She shook her head. "He never used to pick up on stuff like that..."

 _I will refrain from thinking to the past..._

 _No... Bad Eiji. Bad..._

 _BAD IMAGINATION!_

Eiji sighed. "Now I'll be all red and embarrassed when I leave... You guys... How am going to focus on fighting when THAT pops into my head!?"

Haku smiled. "All the more reason to focus more on fighting, and less on Hiro... And THAT."

Eiji glared at them. "Ha! Ha ha!... Ha... You're all hilarious."

Chihiro laughed. "And that would be you Haku! When-"

"No." He said. "Not going there again."

She smiled. "Finished!"

She handed Eiji a pair of gloves.

"They'll sway you away from avoidable harm... They're lucky."

Eiji sighed. "But its not cold... Will I need gloves."

"If anything, just carry them with you." Said Chihiro.

"I have a feeling you might need them sometime..."

She gave him a hug.

"You be careful..." She said softly.

"I've lost you once... I don't want to do it again."

He hugged her back.

"I'm not going to die on Hiro, and definitely not on you guys... I promise."

...

Hiro was armed with her armor the Leviathan's had made her. She held the queen of clubs...

She was actually starting to get nervous.

"Mom, Dad?" She asked.

"How long is the trip going to be?"

Kuhn looked down.

"I don't know... I'm sorry."

Linn sighed. "Well, it's not going to be short..."

She looked away.

"It hasn't even been a year since I left... And now I'm leaving again."

She teared up.

"I'm sorry... I wish I would have stayed then. You probably won't even know me when I come back!"

She cried.

They hugged her.

"Are you kidding?" Said Linn softly.

"I'd recognize you in ten years from a mile away..."

Kuhn smiled. "Swinging around that club of yours."

"I'm just scared..." Hiro sniffed.

"I have no idea what the training is, or what I'll find on the blood roads... I'm kind of glad I'm not going to be alone."

Now that she thought about it? She really was. She was lucky Eiji was a blood mage, or she would be... No choice.

Kuhn sighed. "No making out with him okay?"

She looked away. "Fine, alright... I won't."

That was a flat lie.

Kuhn nodded. He knew she probably wouldn't keep to that, but it gave him some comfortable that she at least agreed.

Linn wasn't sure if she would accept that.

"We're serious." She said.

"That stuff leads to other things, and sorry, but you're double dosed with the fertile gene. We both have siblings, and your father was in a family of triplets. Now let me ask you, do you really want kids to worry about on a dangerous road? Or at all at the so wisened age of thirteen?"

Hiro went pale. She never thought of that...

"Oh... I don't. I REALLY don't..."

Linn smiled. "See? So none of that. You don't need that kind of stress, you have enough of your own."

That actually convinced Hiro to at least not go that far.

Linn figured that there would still be making out... They were young hormonal teenagers. But at least she wouldn't have to worry about grandchildren.

They made sure Hiro was ready to go with Eiji, and sent her to meet with them.

They were about to follow her, and Kuhn stopped Linn for a moment.

"You're my hero! I was pulling my hair out over what to say, and you just blew it out of the water... You really are amazing..."

Linn smiled, and blushed softly.

"Well, it's a lot easier to talk about that, because we're both girls... If we had a son, you'd be the one that would talk to him."

Kuhn nodded. "That makes sense... Come on, let's make sure she at least leaves safe."

...

Hiro and Eiji were ready to leave. They had said their farewell's, and now it was off to the blood roads. Shisuta had given them directions...

There was faint voice, and a girl running toward them.

Eiji squinted. "Who is she?

"Ey! EY!" She yelled from a distance.

"Ya guy's are headin to the blood road's, RIGHT!?"

"Yeah!" Hiro yelled. "What about it!?"

She was still kind of far away.

A crowd appeared over the horizon... They were chasing her.

"Can I come with!? These watchers're out for my blood! Hurry, I got short legs! I dunno if I'm gonna make it!"

Eiji was put in a tough spot. He didn't want to see her get killed, but she seemed like not the most pleasant company.

He tensed.

"Are you a blood mage!?" He asked.

"Just answer my damn question! C'mon! And... Yeah! I'm one of them caster's!"

"Fine then! Just... Fine! Come on."

The crowd was getting closer.

The other's gaped at him.

"Wow... Just like that I guess." Said Kuhn.

Linn sighed. "Oh god... A criminal record. Dammit... They don't need that."

"Can ya come get me!?" She yelled. "They're gainin' on me!"

Eiji rolled his eyes as he shot out his threads, and pulled her over.

He set her down, and she let out a sigh of relief.

"Thanks! Well, they're gonna try and strong arm ya into givin' me up. Just say I wanna come with on the blood roads. Yeah... That'll do it. Watcher's can't chase ya if her under a flush's protection."

Haku sighed, and held the bridge of his nose.

"I take it you're from Deadmarch? What did you do to get so many watcher's chasing you?"

"Well, ya see, I was mindin' my own business! These Watcher's've been on me since this cockered plush right out said I stole'is cufflinks! The man had bitch hands anyway... Douche wagon..."

The crowd was approaching them.

"Well, did you?" Asked Haku.

She scoffed. "No... That plush's had it in for me since I socked'em for tryin' to strong arm my sis into a brothel."

Haku thought about it...

It didn't seem like she was lying, and there were a lot of brothel's in that area.

Haku nodded. "Alright then, that sounds plausible."

They walked up.

"Hey! This little wench is on the block for Larsen from a noble! I'll need to ask that you hand her over... There are consequences for handling criminals."

Hiro glared at them.

"You may want to investigate the noble... I don't think she stole the cufflinks, and I'm sure there are laws against trafficking, which he tried to do to one of her relatives."

They laughed. "I don't care!" Said the man.

"The nobles got rights. These little mudlarks are nothing but trouble!"

"Well then." Said Haku. "You wouldn't mind if we took her under our protection then, would you?"

He looked to the side.

"Well, um... She's a criminal! Do you really want a filthy-!?"

"I highly doubt she stole the cufflinks, and nobles bribe the watch all the time. We'll take it from here... You can leave now."

Note, he only said the cufflinks. He wasn't sure if she had stolen other things. He just knew that what she WAS being accused of was wrong.

They gave the group one last glare before they walked away.

"I had been to Deadmarch in my travels before the bathhouse... It's not a very pleasant place."

Haku looked at the girl.

"Are you really a blood mage?"

She shrugged. "I dunno... Maybe. Never got a good meanin' of it."

Shisuta teared up.

"You poor DEPRIVED CHILD! Ask me anything sweety! I will give you the best answer I have!"

Karo and Haku sighed. "Uh oh..."

Her eyes widened. "That bag... Yer a witch doctor ain't ya? I can tell! They cook up some neat potions those ones..."

Shisuta refrained from strangling the girl.

"I'm an Alchemist." She said.

"Do you have any questions?"

She looked down.

"Uh, yea... Do ya have somethin' for curses? Sorry, really... My sis... I think she's got the taint, but, I'm not sure..."

"What are her symptoms?" Shisuta asked.

"Well, she's been sick for a time now... She hacks up a lot, and her skin's been... Well, bad... That, and she won't wake up. She's not truly my sis, but she's like blood. She's a flush, and the only one who can prove that the other one's a teller... If she'd said somethin' then, she wouldn't be in this fix."

"What is her skin like?" Shisuta prodded.

She looked down.

"It's... Darker... And it peels off in... Big chunks. It's bad... One of the casters said there was magic in it... I dunno. Whad'ya think?"

It wasn't the taint... To Shisuta, it sounded like a lover's scorn curse.

"Was he... Interested in her, this... Noble?"

She rolled her eyes.

"Yea... He's such a slack! When she wouldn't take to it, he got mad... Douche wagon..."

Shisuta nodded, ignoring the last part.

"It sounds to me like lover's scorn. Here, take this..."

She handed her a syringe filled with the antidote.

"This should work in a matter of days... It will also restore the damage done to her body. Inject it directly into her torso, preferably the heart."

She nodded. "Thanks! Wow... Yer some witch doctor lady!"

Shisuta's eye twitched. "Yes... I have been an 'Alchemist' for some time now..."

She nodded. "Well yer great! Maybe I'll head back, and... Would ya show me how to cook up a potion? Maybe not..."

Hiro sighed. She might be sorry she said that...

Shisuta's eyes possessed the sparkle of madness that it held when wanting to share knowledge.

She pointed her finger out, and her eyes gleamed with excitement.

"You will be a MASTER by the time I am finished! Come! COME AND SEE THE WONDERS OF ALCHEMICAL SCIENCE!"

She sighed. "I'll do it later... I need to fix my sis, ya know?"

Shisuta hung her head.

"Okay... You have momentarily killed my joy. I will be waiting..."

"So... Should we go to Deadmarch then?" Eiji asked.

Haku sighed. "That is a very dangerous town..."

He looked at the girl.

"Fine... Just help her with her sister, and then head to the blood roads."

Eiji nodded. "Alright then, sounds like a plan."

They headed off toward Deadmarch, their journey taking an unexpected turn.


	65. Chapter 65

Chapter 65: To Deadmarch, The Invisible Giant

Boh had been there at the departure.

He had bid them farewell, and stood there with the others... He rarely talked much lately, and the others didn't seem to mind. He was very lonely, and felt like he was assimilating without even trying.

He felt that nothing made him an individual right now. That he was just lost among the small crowds. You'd think that being large would make you stand out.

Not so much.

He still missed No-Face. He would miss No-Face every day for the rest of his existence. No question...

He felt like he had somehow disappeared from the face of purgatory... The face of existence.

He might as well have faded with No-Face.

He walked away. He started walking away from everything he knew... They wouldn't notice.

No one had offered him comfort in his time of loss... He was just invisible it seemed. No-Face was that friend who would provide comfort, and he was gone.

Would the others notice when he was gone? He wasn't sure... Best not to think about it now.

He was on his way... And no one would stop him.

...He thought.

"Aren't you a little old to be running away?" Said a familiar voice.

He sighed. "Hey mom... I'd think of it more as moving out, actually."

"I'm sorry." She said.

"I was always blinded by my greed. Now I guess I'm wandering... Well, at least I'm not stuck up there with those idiots!" She cackled.

He shook his head and smiled.

"You really never change, do you?"

"No, I do not." She said. "But you certainly have... I could even say it was far more than I had hoped for. It's clear that I didn't raise you."

He laughed. "Nonsense! I learned how to haggle, that's something!"

He looked down. "You know, if you were still alive? Maybe I would have talked to you more..."

She sighed. "Don't fret over that... Two thousand years is quite enough time. You have your decisions to make, and I've made mine. You'll make the right choice... But it's your choice. Either you stay or go... That doesn't matter as much. What you do with your time? That matters. What would you do if you left?"

Boh sighed. "I don't know... I'd figure something out."

"If you are leaving, head north." She said.

"You may find that there are interesting one's up ahead in that direction."

"Interesting one's? Who the hell are they?" He asked.

No answer.

"Okay then... Bye. I guess..."

He heard her cackling as she left.

He shook his head. "She really hasn't changed a bit."

...

Hiro and Eiji were headed toward Deadmarch with that strange girl.

She smiled at them.

"Thanks for this, by the way... That club. Damn, are ya one of them hammer's or a caster?"

Hiro sighed. "What's a hammer? Could you explain that?"

She slapped her palm to her face.

"It's somebody who's guardin' someone else. Pretty tough, those ones..."

Hiro smiled. "Well, I guess both then. I have blood magic, but I need training for it, or else I'll go dark. Eiji's a different kind... He doesn't need the training, but he's helping me out."

She shrugged. "A caster's a caster to me..."

She grinned. "You two hitched or somethin'?"

Eiji sighed. "Are you implying that we're together? Yes, we are."

She smiled. "I love all that romantic stuff! I need to get me a nice girl too... Damn, I'm always free."

So she liked women? Well, at least Hiro wouldn't have to be worried about her hitting on Eiji.

She looked at Hiro, and smiled.

"Yer really a catch! It's a shame you're hitched..."

She held out her hand.

"The name's Emi by the way, but most just call me Em."

Hiro shook her hand.

"Nice to meet you Em..."

She laughed. "Yer bein' to formal, honest! I just-"

She saw what was behind her, and jumped.

"Holy HELL ON'A PIKE! WHAT'RE THOSE!?"

Hiro looked at them, and laughed.

"Do you guys want to come?"

The Leviathan's nodded eagerly.

"YES!" They screamed.

"Master and A Mistress wouldn't leave us... Would they...?"

They burst into tears.

"You NEVER COME TO VISIT!" Talin wailed.

"It has been a dark and boresome time in the palace of thorns..."

His face became serious.

"We heard about max... Sorry for your loss."

Hiro looked away.

"It's fine..." She said tearfully.

"So you're coming with us?"

Talin nodded. "Until the blood roads."

Em's eyes widened.

"You mean THE Max? Max the Leviathan!? I thought that was a phony name for them sneaky authors no one finds... He's dead? Damn... He wrote some damn good stories. My sis read'em to me, those books of hers... That was the last one before she got all sick."

Hiro smiled sadly. "So he published it then?"

Talin nodded. "A best seller..." He sniffed.

"Even the EARTHLINGS LIKED IT!"

They burst into tears again.

Emi smiled. "I liked the warrior chick, but all of'em girls were so caught on that 'steamy river spirit'... Or so they're all sayin'."

Eiji blushed. "Really...? That's my dad... He's married... And he's my dad."

Emi paused for a moment, then burst out into laughter.

"Ha! I'll tell'em I met the river spirit! Him though? Really!? Damn... That's some good writing, to make him steamy! Wait..."

She looked at Eiji and Hiro.

"Yer the Lost Royal's!? The ruler of Leviathan's!? Kick ass!"

She beamed. "That was THE Palace of Thorns I saw there. Damn, this is just the coolest!"

"HAPPY FANGIRL!" Winston screamed.

"FANGIRL!" They screamed.

They all lifted her in the air and cheered.

Fred laughed with joy.

"FINALLY! The Fangirl... She HAS ARRIVED!"

They cheered.

She laughed as they put her down.

"These guys're great! Can we keep'em?"

Eiji laughed. "Well, they are following us..."

She sighed. "Yer lucky I'm gonna go with ya to Deadmarch... Ya kids would get in the wrong place, and somebody'd cheat ya blind."

Hiro rolled her eyes. "This club, remember?"

Emi looked at her seriously.

"Ya kids've never dealt with the watch, have'ya? Ya think they don't have hammer's 'n caster's? Well, her wrong. Them plush lovers're brutal... They'll mess ya up is what they'll do. Keep yer nose down, and stick with me when we get to Deadmarch... I'll even getch'ya out."

Eiji sighed. "Well, I think Em's got a point. We've never been to Deadmarch, so we should take direction from someone who has."

Hiro nodded. "Okay then... But if someone pisses me off, I'm going to punch them."

Emi looked at her blatantly.

"You'll keep yer head down. Damn, don't go pickin' bone's unless ya hafta..."

Eiji put a hand on her shoulder.

"Like I said, we have no idea what this place is like..."

She sighed. "I know... We'll just follow Em I guess."

She nodded. "Good. Ya might wanna tell yer friends to stay back on the border... This place has Lot's a 'Burn the Witch' types."

Eiji nodded. "Alright then, you heard her. Stay on the border..."

"YES MASTER!" They yelled.

Eiji was surprised by this... Wasn't that more of an earth problem in the middle ages?

He gulped as they neared the border.

This could get ugly.


	66. Chapter 66

Chapter 66: The Wrong Crowd

They were near the border, but it had started to get dark.

Hiro and Eiji set up the tents in their packs, and gathered wood to build a fire.

When they had succeeded, due to Hiro's pixie magic, they all relaxed and sat down by the fire.

There were logs chosen for seats.

Emi gave a long stretch, lifting her feet up by the fire.

"This is great! I've never been out real campin'... Hell, my life's campin'... 'Cept without the tents... And no fire."

Her face was filled with a sudden sorrow.

She brushed it off, and smiled.

"Well, I like it! Only thing this is missin' is a Flask!"

Hiro laughed. "You drink? How old are you?"

She shrugged. "Fifteen... Why? Ya got a bone with it?"

Hiro shrugged. "Not really... You don't look fifteen though."

She looked at most thirteen... About thirteen actually. The only thing that could go against that is her cup size and her face. Her face looked her age, if not a year older.

She was a foot shorter than Eiji, and eight to nine inches shorter than Hiro. She was also curvy, and heavier set... It was more of a frame than anything. She was built more broadly, but her features were gaunt, like she hadn't eaten in a while. Her hair showed lack of attention, and was put in a loose ponytail of auburn dreadlocks. Her eyes were almost an amber color, and her skin was naturally tanned.

Emi laughed. "I get that one lot's! Well, it's true..."

She seemed to trail off.

"That never stopped no one though... So who gives a damn."

"I-I'm sorry..." Said Hiro.

"I didn't mean to offend you."

She shook her head and laughed.

"Ya shouldn't give two cents about that load... Who gives a lick about offense? Never made nobody less wrong or right. I don't care."

Hiro looked at her.

"You look sad." She said. "I'm curious, what's getting to you besides your sister?"

Her eyes became cold.

"Stop askin' things ya don't wanna hear..."

Eiji sighed. "Well, no one said that..."

He figured a lighter approach might loosen things up.

"What's Deadmarch like? Do you have any friends there?"

She laughed. "Yea... Friends. That's it. I have fun friends..."

Eiji went red.

 _Oh... Those kind of friends._

Eiji continued.

"So I take it there aren't many casual friends in Deadmarch?"

She grinned. "Oh, it's a casual of sort's..."

More redness.

"Well, I see then... Um... Any other family besides your sister?"

She looked down. "Nope... Got no parents, and no other sister."

"What's her name?" Eiji asked.

She sighed. "Her name's Freya. She's good people..."

She seemed to sink deeper into herself.

"She's so damn bold. Too bull headed to get the watch in on it... Always wantin' to 'win her own battles' she says... Now the filthy slack picked a bone and cursed'er. I'll kill him when this is over... Picked the wrong damn bone he did."

Eiji sighed. "I'm sorry... It's wrong to hurt anyone without a good reason. Especially someone you're supposed to love..."

She shook her head.

"Yea, well, it's nonna yer damn business... And yea, it's wrong."

Her stomach growled, and she shifted uncomfortably.

Hiro dug through her pack, and found some sandwiches her mom and dad had given her to pack.

She gave Emi one.

"Here Em..." She tossed Eiji one as well.

"Let's eat."

Emi looked at her curiously.

"Yer gonna be sorry when ya hit the blood roads, and all yer food is gone..."

They all ate, and Emi ate surprisingly neat. She had a different way of eating then she did with other things... She still seemed to guard it like a wolf, but she had some actual manners.

She handed half of the sandwich back.

"Don't waste it." She said.

"Ya never know when that'll save yer life."

Hiro sighed. "I gave it to you though..."

Emi rolled her eyes.

"Just pack the damn thing..."

Hiro did.

Emi looked at them both curiously.

"What's a blood caster anyhow? It's all spells right?"

Eiji nodded. "Yes, they're spells. The difference between regular magic, and blood magic, is the use of blood... Either your own, or someone else's."

Emi seemed to pause for a moment.

She looked away.

"Never heard of it... Talk like that in Deadmarch? They'll sick a knife on ya for sure... If they're not all loud about it."

"A knife?" Hiro asked.

Emi gave a groan. "Okay, a knife is somebody ya coin to kill somebody else..."

"Like an assassin." Said Eiji.

"Yea... That's right." She said.

"So pipe down if ya don't want to meet one... And ya don't, cause its the last body you'll meet, 'cept yer own."

Eiji pulled out a notebook and began writing in it.

"Whad'ya doin' with that thing?" Emi asked with confusion.

Eiji smiled. "Writing down definitions."

"Ya mean words?" She said flatly.

"Ah hell, yer a coupla strange one's..."

Hiro laughed. "And you aren't? Well, strange isn't bad... You could say I don't give two cents about judgement. I think it's stupid to judge someone you don't know."

She gave her a side glance.

"So ya don't think I'm stupid...?"

Hiro shook her head. "No. You have a lot of knowledge on survival... More than I have. That wood we gathered was perfect for burning! I'm book smart, but you have a thing for knowledge outside of books."

She blushed.

"Oh, shy off! I ain't that special... It's not every day ya find someone who can cast a fire... And stuff for that takes coin I don't got."

Eiji scribbled more definitions in his notebook.

"Oh hell, let up on that! I feel like a damn project..."

Hiro laughed. "Well, I guess he's really into it now..."

He continued to write.

Emi smiled. "It's really a shame yer hitched... Ya probably don't like girls anyhow."

Hiro shook her head.

"Nope, sorry. I definitely like guys!"

She shrugged. "Can't win'em all..."

Her expression changed...

She looked away. "Ya wouldn't happen t'know some freak with red eye's, right?"

They both stopped.

"Why?" Asked Eiji.

"Is his name Kaihn?"

She nodded. "Yea... That's the one."

Hiro looked at her.

"If he's caused you any trouble, just tell us. We'll handle it, don't you worry Em..."

She teared up. "Good god... Ya actually trust me. Well shit, now ya won't... We gotta get outta here, now."

"What about Deadmarch?" Eiji asked.

"I was leadin' you away, and into a fix... We're not close to Deadmarch."

Hiro gaped. "Then you lied to us!?"

She gritted her teeth.

"No. The rest is true... My sister is all kinds'a sick, and all'of her stuff's been taken by the watcher's. I got no money to keep'er roomed... She'd die in the cold. Then ya come along, and have a cure... Somethin' I didn't think could happen. He offered me coin to deliver the girl, he said. Bring the boy if ya can... I can't. I can't, Dammit all to HELL! I CAN'T!"

Her lower lip was trembling.

"If he shows up, I'll get'em good... Don't you worry. I'll help you, but if he comes up, just run."

"I have one question." Eiji said.

"How did you get involved with someone like Kaihn?"

She looked down.

"He tried to take me at first... The scariest guy I'd ever met. He... Well, not goin' there, but long story short... I cast lion, and yea... I used blood. I didn't know that mattered... I figured he needed a caster to do his dirty work, since he gave me that deal on coin and my life."

Hiro sighed. "I believe you... But what now? Where do we go."

Eiji looked at her. "I say Deadmarch. That was the original plan... Let's just stick to it."

He sighed. "And now that it's out? Don't lie to us... We'll help you, especially when it comes to him."

She seemed to curl up into herself.

"Okay..." She said softly.

"Scared...?" Said a familiar voice.

"Good, you should be. I gave you a good offer, and you just threw it away... What? Has the hardened street urchin gone soft?"

They all stood.

"Back off!" Hiro yelled.

"I don't want to be your stupid apprentice, so get it out of your head!"

He laughed darkly.

"Where are you...?" Eiji asked, his tone low.

Emi stepped in front of them.

"I'm tellin' ya guys, I'll handle him."

He appeared before them.

"Will you now?"

She froze, but stood her ground.

"Y-Yeah... That's right. Gotta bone with it?"

He laughed. "Oh please... Everyone can see you're shaking. You're like a wet kitten... All growl and no claws..."

She held a dagger to her hand.

"Don't FUCKING PUSH ME!" She yelled.

"I'LL DO IT!"

He appeared behind her, holding her knife to her throat.

"Ooh... That's a nice knife... Mind if I use it? I have a nice sword too, and I'll know you'd like that..."

He slid his hand up her shirt, and grabbed her chest.

"Though it might take some getting used to..."

Eiji threw him off with his threads, and Hiro slammed him with her club and into a nearby tree.

"Hands OFF!" She yelled.

"Or I'll show you what my club feels like, and you won't like that!"

Her expression became dark, and she smiled.

"But who am I kidding? You were probably gang banged by the skull fuck demons as a child... It took some getting used to, I'm sure..."

Emi gaped. "Damn... I need to take some burn lessons from her... Fuck... Ya need some ice for that!? Ya damn shit pile..."

Kaihn lunged at her.

Hiro slammed him into the tree again, and tried to follow with a slam through the tree.

They shifted positions, and Kaihn grabbed her by the throat, slamming her head continuously into the tree.

"You insolent WENCH! When you become my apprentice, I'll melt your MOUTH TOGETHER!"

Hiro let out a whimper of pain as the back of her head continued taking blows.

Eiji threw him off, and slammed him into the ground. He tried to puppet him...

Kaihn used Eiji's blood threads as a means to restore himself.

Eiji collapsed, and his fingers began to gush blood.

Hiro was also weakened... Not only was she losing consciousness due to a head injury, he must have taken some of her power.

Eiji still had life force left... But Kaihn was preparing to drain him.

Hiro reached out for him... But she couldn't move.

There were ruin marks on the ground, and Emi was standing at the center. Her right hand was pressed against the ground.

"Alright shit stick! Need better than that lion!? Well here ya go douche cakes, wish granted!"

A Cerberus shot out of the ground, and Emi mounted it.

"How's this for a cast, motherfucker!?"

The Cerberus clawed Kaihn away, and white hot fire balls from each head.

She grabbed both of her daggers as Kaihn killed her summon.

"Quite the summon, blood summoner... What now?"

Lucky for her, wounds inflicted from blood magic heal after a successful summon.

She grinned. "Well I can fight ya know? No shit."

She flipped over him, and caught him in a hold... Her knife pressed against his throat.

"What now, shit stick?" She mocked.

He broke the hold, and she slid back, evading a thrust move from his now drawn sword.

She looked at Eiji, who was losing blood.

She tried to ends the battle with a clean stab to the back of the skull. He kept on evading, and blocking her moves.

"Fuck me! Why do ya hafta have real talent, damn you!?"

He glared at her. "I could say the same... The more blood he loses, the less I get."

She tried to sink her knife into his throat, he deflected the move, and they both slid back.

"What're ya some kinda vampire caster?"

His eye twitched. "No... I'm not a fucking vampire! That's a ridiculous legend!"

She grinned... She knew how to beat him.

"Where are yer fangs then? Don't all vamps have them sharp teeth for blood sucking? I wonder if there's a special set for ass gobbling, angel lover..."

He lunged at her, and she saw an opening directly at his heart.

She took it, and it went through.

He pulled back, grabbing his chest.

"Damn you!" He yelled.

His disappeared back to Hiro's sanctuary...

She smirked.

 _Ass gobbling angel lover... How many dicks did he hafta swallow to get his job._

 _All I know, is that there's shit that's off about up top... How could somebody like that freak get angel love? Lyin' bastard..._

She looked over at Eiji.

"Oh shit! Hold on guy, I'll get ya patched up!"

Leviathan's ran to the 'border'.

One of the Leviathan's ran to him, and healed his arms.

"Hiro too!" Emi exclaimed.

"Kaihn messed up her head, ya might wanna check her."

He ran over to Hiro, and healed her as well. They were both sleeping soundly after that.

Emi sighed, and gave the Leviathan a hug.

"Thank god ya guys showed when ya did! I wasn't sure what I could do..."

He smiled. "Well, Master was in danger... And A Mistress... I am Fred."

He said, holding out a clawed hand.

She shook it.

"Nice to meet ya Fred."

He blushed. "You too Fangirl... Hey! Do you want CAKE!?"

She gaped. "Ya got cake!? Hell yea I want cake!"

He conjured a lifetime supply of cake.

"Where'd ya get all that!?" She gaped.

He looked down and smiled. "Hehe... France."

She shrugged. "Oh well, that looks tasty!"

She dug in to the chocolate cake first... It wasn't something you got much in Deadmarch, so she savored every bite.

She sighed. "So I guess I'm goin' to the blood roads after all... I'm gonna miss yer loveable mugs when I leave... Can I take that to go?"

Fred conjured a pile of saran wrap.

"Okay... What about that stuff? Where'd ya get that...?"

He grinned. " ..."

She gave him a flat look.

"Yer tellin' a tall one Fred..."

His grin broadened, but he stayed silent.

A giant rift opened in the sky, and thunder and lightning came crashing down to the earth.

"What the Ever livin' FUCK!?" Emi exclaimed.

A giant Leviathan came crashing down... He was huge.

At least ten times the size of the others.

"I HAVE EATEN!" He yelled.

They all looked up at him.

"MAAAAXXX!" They screamed.

They all huddled around him, and hugged his feet.

He shrank back to normal size.

"Hiro..." He said.

He looked over at Eiji.

"Sorry Eiji..." He said.

"I shouldn't have been so rash with you..."

He seemed more coherent then the other Leviathan's.

"The souls of some heaven dwellers have given me a good snack..."

He looked over at Hiro.

There was a moment of silence...

She sat up.

"Max!? You're alive!?"

She looked at him sternly.

"This is the third time Max, where were you!?"

He looked down.

"Getting souls... I wanted to come back stronger, so I could protect you. Sorry for the wait Hiro..."

She hugged him, and sobbed.

"Can you actually die!?"

He grinned. "Probably not."

She let out a small laugh.

"You jerk..." She sniffed.

She looked at him. "Eiji is off limits for ever attacking, got it? He would never knowingly hurt me..."

He looked down. "I know... I'm sorry about that. I wasn't feeling well, swallowed something bad... I can't eat evil blood mages more than once I'm afraid..."

Hiro gaped. "You ate Kaihn!? TWICE!?"

He laughed maniacally. "YES! I DID, AND IT WAS GLORIOUS BOTH TIMES!"

Still that side left... Max...

He grimaced. "Not doing that again though..."

Emi sighed.

"Ya lost me at, 'the third time'."

Fred laughed. "NO! Max can't die!? No!? NO!? NOOO!"

Max sighed. "As long as I'm imprinted on you, my life span matches yours... If you aren't dead, neither am I... I promised you I wouldn't let you be lonely."

She let out a sigh.

Her breath was shaking, and more tears spilled from her eyes.

"That's a relief..." She whispered tearfully.

Emi got Eiji back to camp, and in his tent. Her and Hiro chatted for awhile, then went to sleep.

Hiro let Emi sleep with her in her tent. She took the sleeping bag, while Emi got the blanket.

Emi curled up in the blankets. Tears spilled when she was sure Hiro had fallen asleep.

"Why'm I crying...?" She whispered to no one.

"I'm a damn fool... I don't deserve this help. I'ma no good crook..."

 _I stole them cufflinks... I stole'em for her. Damn idiot._

 _Freya told ya not to, but it's you and the ladies..._

 _That lady._

 _She said she loved me..._

 _Promised me a home... And her._

 _She wanted the damn cufflinks, as some test of loyalty..._

 _Well fuck, it was rigged right?_

 _I guess that's life..._

 _A rigged fuckin' test..._

 _Fuck her... That fuckin' nark!_

 _She was in on it with'em the whole time..._

 _I'll be all kinds'a fucked if I run into her._

 _Eiji 'n Hiro will probably hate me, because I lied. Again._

 _Fuck me..._

 _God dammit!_

 _Just DAMN ME TO HELL!_

 _I hate you..._

 _I HATE you._

 _I HATE ME!_

She sobbed softly.

"And that shit don't change."

Hiro was lying awake.

She had a hard time sleeping after what had happened.

She heard what Emi had said...

 _Emi... I swear you're good. You have a big mouth, and a hard head._

 _And a good heart._

 _When you told us what was really going on? It wasn't from a hateful place..._

 _You showed mercy and kindness..._

 _You're not as bad as you pretend to be, or even as bad as you think you are._

 _I think you're good, and I'll have to show you that._

 _I'll do something nice for you tomorrow Em, something that will make you smile._

Hiro let peaceful and clearing thoughts enter her mind, drawing her into an undisturbed sleep.


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67: North

Hiro stretched and felt her back pop as she sat.

"Oww... I think I hate this part of camping..."

Emi was still sleeping.

She heard the fire going, and saw a shadow of a person from her tent.

She smiled.

"Eiji. Of course he's up."

She crawled out of her tent, and went to greet him.

She sat next to him on the log.

"Good morning." She said pleasantly.

He looked at her.

He looked down.

"Um... Sorry about last night."

She was confused.

"Sorry about what?" She asked

He sighed. "You know... I always mess up on stuff with blood threads and everything. I wanted to help you... The way he was slamming you against the tree... I lost my temper, and forgot that he could drain me with my own threads. If it weren't for Emi? We'd all be dead."

She hugged him. "Don't think like that... It really does get you nowhere. I'm just glad you're okay."

He gave a happy sigh.

"So am I... I mean!... I'm glad you're okay! Yeah..."

He hung his head in awkward defeat.

Hiro laughed. "You're such a nerd!"

She smiled. "But that's okay... You're my nerd."

He smiled softly. "Glad to hear it..."

He pressed soft kisses on her lips. His arms were wrapped around her, and she leaned into him.

His lips held a warm smile.

"I love you..." He whispered.

He gave her another soft kiss.

She blushed softly, and she smiled.

"I love you too Eiji."

She leaned into him, and nearly fell asleep again just cuddling.

"Awww... Ya kids are so just... That's fuckin' adorable!"

They both jumped as they saw Emi sitting on the log across from them.

"When did you get here!?" Eiji exclaimed.

She laughed. "What? Are ya afraid I saw ya tounging? Well I did... But anyhow, I dunno... I don't care. Ya kids are adorable."

Hiro went red.

"Umm... Okay then. Good morning Em, how did you sleep?"

She lifted her feet up on the stump she had placed near the fire... Probably as a foot rest.

"Ah, it was great!" She exclaimed.

"Nice'n warm, and pretty comfy! Ya guys sure know how to camp!"

Hiro smiled. "Well, I'm glad you were warm."

She nodded. "Me too! Where d'ya get such cozy blankets!?"

Her look became more serious.

"Um... Sorry 'bout last night. Kinda set ya guys up for that..."

Eiji shook his head.

"No, we don't blame you, or dislike you."

Hiro nodded. "Right. You saved our lives back there... We would have probably died if you hadn't stalled Kaihn long enough for the Leviathan's to get to us... I heard you beat him too."

She shook her head.

"Nah... He's not dead."

Eiji sighed. "I believe that much... That guy is like a cockroach."

Emi laughed. "Tell me about it! Apparently Max swallowed him twice!"

Eiji blinked. "Max? Is he alive?"

On hearing of his name, Max stepped away from the other sleeping Leviathan's, and approached the fire.

He nodded. "Sorry Eiji... I hope you don't hate me."

Eiji sighed. "No... I don't hate you. Why would I hate you? I knew you swallowed something bad... I didn't know it was that bad... And twice... God."

Max grimaced. "He gives you very bad indigestion... I wouldn't recommend it."

Eiji looked at him curiously.

"You sound different, what happened?"

"I think the more souls he eats, the more coherent he becomes." Said Hiro.

"He apparently made a good meal out of heavenly guards."

Eiji shook his head. "Of course he did."

He stopped.

"Wait... How did you breach the heavens?"

Max sighed. "I was pulled into the afterlife in a state of half death... So I used a portal."

"Which portal!?" Hiro gaped.

He grinned. "The Bermuda Triangle... Published my book on earth too. I wonder how long it will take for Haku to realize that teenage girls are pursuing him? He he..."

Eiji gave a heavy sigh.

"I guess he'll find out sooner or later... Watch out Dad..."

Emi laughed. "That's awesome! Yer quite a writer, ya know that?"

He blushed softly.

"Well... I've had years of practice... Thanks."

Fred ran up to Emi.

"FANGIRL! DID YOU PACK THE CAKE!?... Can I have some? And Winston? Winston sounds tasty."

Max sighed. "The others need to eat too. We've all been starving for almost an entire eternity... It causes our seemingly delusional madness... We have to be careful what we swallow though. Normally we wouldn't need to eat souls, but our powers were stripped from us, because the heavens feared what they did not understand."

Eiji nodded. "That seems to be a trend with these guys... He said cake? Did he really mean cake?"

Emi laughed. "Yea! I packed a whole ton a the stuff!"

He laughed. "I guess!"

Max sighed. "Again Fred?"

Fred looked down. "Well... Yeah..."

Max shook his head. "What kind of cake..."

"CHOCOLATE CAKE!" He beamed.

Max smiled. "Chocolate does sound good."

Hiro smiled. "Well, we should all have some cake before we head to Deadmarch."

They all ate cake, and enjoyed their time around the fire.

When they were finished, they packed up their tents, and prepared to head out.

"Deadmarch is north." Said Emi.

"Straight north really. Ya head north from this side 'n you'll run into Deadmarch guaranteed."

Hiro nodded. "Good... Well, I'm not sure if I'd want to run into Deadmarch, but that's what we're looking for."

Emi sighed. "Yea... Not a place yer wantin' to run into on a stroll, that's for sure."

Eiji looked over at the Leviathan's.

"Well, if it comes down to it, we have these guys..."

Emi grimaced. "If it go's that far south... It's gonna be a shit storm."

...

Boh was headed north.

He was curious about what his mother had told him, and he didn't want to stick around at the Warrior's right now.

He continued northward and saw that there was a large amount of trash building up the way he was headed.

"Well... This is kind of dingy." He commented.

He sighed. "I'm not seeing anything or anyone that interesting..."

He felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Anyone at all... Hmm..."

He felt a rope or two attach as arrows pierced his arm.

He saw two shaking guys with meager crossbows.

He pulled the arrows out.

"Well, that's no way to greet someone..." Said Boh, rubbing his arm.

"G-Giant!" They yelled.

"It's huge! Look a'the size've it!?"

Boh gave an annoyed sigh.

"I'm a dude. And no, we don't grind bones for bread... And we don't eat people, that's disgusting."

They were still shaking.

"Ya mean ya won't steal our kids?" Said one.

"And ya won't turn'em into ghouls?"

Boh laughed. "No way! Where did you hear such stupid myths!?"

They looked down.

"Well..." Said one. "Ya seem like a right side fellow... Um, sorry about that."

"But what d'we do!?" Said the other one frantically. "They coined us they did! Good coin too!"

"Ey! Pipe down!" Yelled his friend.

"D'ya want to piss'im off!?"

Boh rolled his eyes.

"You're not going to piss me off... It's actually kind of funny."

They stared at him.

"Ey... Ya don't sound like a angry giant..."

"Yea..." The other agreed.

"There ain't smoke comin' out yer ears, or fire out yer nose... Why's that?"

Boh was practically rolling around on the ground laughing.

"God damn you two! You should have a comedy show at the Warrior's! I'd just show you half of our staff and customers... Damn..."

They gaped at him.

"That there's flush central! Are ya really a flush!?"

"Nah! Yer tellin' a tall one!" The other yelled.

"A giant can't be a flush!"

"Ah, shaddup buzz brain! I'm sayin' he's a flush!" His friend argued.

"Who are you guys anyway?" Asked Boh.

The friendly one stepped up.

"I'm Kenta, and this here's my lil' brother Kenji... Ya might not wanna go this way."

"Yea..." Said Kenji.

"They'll string ya up they will! Yer lucky it weren't the watcher's or yer a dead man... Them watcher's don't care nothin' fer nobody!"

Boh sighed. "So I've heard... Are you guys from Deadmarch? I met a girl who's from Deadmarch... My friends are going to help her with her sister."

They looked at each other.

"That'd be Em." Said Kenta.

"That poor little'un's had it rotten since th'day she was born... Kinda odd she is, but all in, she's a sweety. She ain't done nothin' to Niku that he ain't done to her, I say!"

Kenji glared at the path toward Deadmarch.

"I ain't liked giants, and I ain't liked flush's neither... I like ya, but them other flush's gotta pay!"

"Yea? Freya then, what 'bout her? She ain't nothin' bad, she's Em's kin, and ya best remember."

Kenta seemed more reasonable than his brother.

"She's a different'un! Ya know that Kenta! Just like Em's a sweety, she'd be a sweety fer likin' Em... Em ain't got no friends 'sides Freya, and that's truer than dirt it is!"

"You don't seem to mind her." Said Boh.

"Then why aren't you trying to help her?"

They looked down.

"None've us mind Em..." Said Kenta.

"None a the Mudlarks anyhow... Nobody's stuck with'er cause they say she's cursed."

"Cursed?" Boh asked.

Kenji nodded. "That's right, cursed. I dunno how much I givit... But I ain't takin' chances! She's a sweet'un, and it ain't'er fault or nothin'..."

Boh sighed. "How is she cursed? If she's even cursed..."

"She's luckless, even fer a mudlark." Said Kenta.

"That, 'n everybody she'd named kin or pal's died. Deader than hell each one of'em... Her sis's next... Poor damned saint that one."

Boh saw another giant walk quietly behind the two men.

She was a little shorter than him, and had long light red hair and light brown eyes. She wore a suit of light armor, and dual wielded two greatsword's like shortsword's.

"You're stupid." She said, looking down at the men.

They jumped, and turned around.

"They told you to find me... Do I look like a guy to you? I was just going to pass by, but I want to ask you..."

She looked down.

"Do I really look that manly? Maybe I should make a better hairbrush... Put on a dress? I don't know... Can you not tell that I'm a girl? I mean... Is it that hard?"

She blushed. "Now I'm all nervous and kind of sad... You're such jerks."

Boh had never met another giant, let alone a pretty girl giant.

"No way!" Boh exclaimed.

"You're totally awesome! And definitely a girl..."

His eyes lingered on her chest for a moment...

 _Damn... What is that on giants? A D cup? No... Bigger._

"A really pretty girl... Really pretty..."

She rolled her eyes.

"The first guy I meet, and all he can do is stare at my boobs."

"I-I didn't mean it like that!" He stuttered.

She scoffed. "Right, okay... What's next, I have pretty... Eyes?"

Kenta and Kenji looked at each other, at the giants, and at each other again.

"I think they're alright." Said Kenta.

"Sound's like the normal pesky wench t'me..." Kenji agreed.

"She's not a wench!" Boh exclaimed.

He looked at her.

"You're not a wench... Sorry about that. Sorry about what I did too..."

She shook her head. "It's fine... What's your name? Sorry, I've just never met another giant!"

He shrugged. "Don't be sorry, I haven't either. I'm Boh, and you?"

She blushed, and fiddled with a strand of her hair.

"I'm Onna... Nice to meet you."

"And she's standin' like the average harlot!" Kenji mused.

"Say Kenta, ya think there not so different from us?"

Kenta sighed. "Ah, just shaddup ya dudwit! No shit."

Onna glared at them, a fire in her eyes.

"What did he just CALL ME!?"

Boh put a hand on her shoulder.

"He said your hair is a pretty scarlet."

She blushed and smiled.

"Why thank you! You have no idea how much product I had to steal to get it this shiny!"

She looked down. "They don't usually sell in bulk to giants..."

Boh sighed. "Maybe I should take you back to where I live... The people are definitely friendlier."

"Do that." Said Kenta.

"Cause then we can say she's under a flush's protection... They'll let up, them guys who coined us..."

"I tell ya Kenta, I'm never takin' a job like this'un again!" Said Kenji.

"Yea..." Said Kenta.

"After meetin' these folks... It just dices wrong."

They walked away, and allowed Boh and Onna to walk back to the Warrior's.


	68. Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Havoc

Hiro, Eiji, Emi, and the Leviathan's were walking north toward Deadmarch.

They passed by Boh on the way, walking with a female giant.

"Boh!?" Hiro exclaimed.

"I really didn't think we'd run into you again!"

They ran up to him.

"Seriously!" Eiji exclaimed.

"Who's she? Did you finally find another giant?"

Boh nodded. "Yep, she's had it rough though. I'm taking her back to the warrior's to meet the other's."

Emi nodded. "Yeah... She'd likely had run into some of them hunters once'er twice. Crude one's them folks, not all bad though. I know a coupla one's... Kenji 'n Kenta... They ain't so bad."

Boh smiled. "I ran into them earlier. They didn't seem to mind us once I explained who giants were..."

Emi grinned. "No shit? Well... Small world. How're they lately?"

Boh shrugged. "Superstitious... Kind of funny... Kenji is an angry one, that's for sure."

Emi sighed. "Yea... He had a rough comin' up. He was just a little tyke when them watcher's corrupted 'n killed his ma. Said she were a witch... Kenta's all he's got now."

Boh looked down. "That is pretty horrible. If you see him, send him my thanks, and wish him well."

Emi nodded. "Will do."

Onna smiled softly. "Nice to meet you kids..." She said.

She seemed kind of timid, but very nice.

Eiji and Hiro nodded.

"You too." They said.

They continued forward.

Hiro sighed. "Man... I'm already starting to miss home."

Eiji nodded. "I know, but we have to keep going."

Emi sighed. "Ya need to not talk so loud about yer cast's 'n all that. We're gettin' close to Deadmarch, and these guys'll tear ya up."

Hiro nodded. "Okay, we'll be quiet."

Emi looked at them.

"And no castin'. They'll smell it out like wolves to a raw steak."

Eiji sighed. "Well, if we can't talk about it, it seems obvious that we wouldn't use it."

Emi laughed bitterly.

"You'd think... Ya may be shocked by how many get strung up over witch claims, and if it came down to it, I'd fight em... I don't wanna though. Ya don't hafta be a witch... Sorry, caster, to be claimed. So keep yer head down... Please."

Eiji looked at her. He could see now that she was worried...

"Thanks for looking out for us Em." Said Eiji.

Hiro smiled. "We really appreciate it."

Emi smiled softly. "Well... Yeah. I wouldn't want ya kids to get hurt... I also need that trainin', cause it'll get me out a Deadmarch. Can't have ya dead for that..."

Hiro sighed. "If you needed to get out of Deadmarch, we would have helped you anyway."

Eiji smiled. "We don't let our friends go hungry or cold... We don't like them treated badly either. We'll help your sister, and we'll find that noble who hurt her... You can count on that."

"Exactly." Said Hiro. "And I'll try my hardest as well."

Emi stared at them.

"Ya mean... We're really friends?"

They laughed.

"What do you think!?" Hiro exclaimed.

Eiji shook his head. "You know, you can be pretty dense, to not realize we're looking out for you too."

She teared up. "Thanks... Ya know, I've never had no friends 'sides Freya who's lasted long..."

Eiji smiled. "Well, we aren't going anywhere."

She grinned. "Alright. I'm gonna treat ya guys when we get this settled... Maybe, I'll see what I got when I'm there."

Hiro shook her head.

"Don't waste your money, we'll get you something."

She beamed. "Really!? Nobody treat's me too nothin'! That's grand!"

They all laughed.

Fred looked down.

"But... But Fangirl... I got you cake."

Emi looked at him.

She smiled. "Well, not really. 'Cept for Fred... He's the greatest. He has the best taste in all of them cakes that I'd ever seen!"

He ran around in circles and jumped for joy.

"FANGIRL LIKES MY CAKE! HOORAY FOR FANGIRL!"

"HOORAY!" They screamed.

Emi looked back at them as they neared the city.

"You stay put here, and stay hid. Okay?"

They disappeared into wisps of smoke.

"I LOVE YOU FANGIRL! I'M YOU'RE BIGGEST FAN!" Screamed Fred.

"FANSHIP!" They screamed.

"And be quiet!" Emi yelled.

"They'll hear ya from a mile away, and they'll blow our cover."

"Yes Miss General." They said.

They all wisped away into crevices of rocks and other shadows.

"General?" She asked.

Hiro looked at her.

"I guess that means you make the attack plans." She said.

Emi grinned. "Cool... I've got myself an army, 'sides myself of course."

...

I was holding the amulet in my hand.

There was so much potential to be had with this... I thought that perhaps I should summon more things to our aid before we leave... Not to mention with the absence of Eiji and Hiro.

Well... I do want Linn and Kuhn to sew their daughter again before we leave. Chihiro and Haku also deserve to see Eiji.

 _How long will they be gone though? I wonder if Linn will have her children before they get home..._

The other's walked into the room, gather by Karo.

"I couldn't find Boh." He said.

"We'll have to fill him in later... He's probably patrolling the grounds or something."

"What's this about?" Asked Shisuta.

"Why are we here?"

I sighed. "Well, before I say anything... Shisuta, we're going to have to seal off deep knowledge from the bottom of the well."

She became defensive.

"And why is that? Is there something you do not want me knowing? I cannot just give anyone free reign to do what they will with the well... Not even you Kahn."

Haku looked at her.

"Let him explain himself then. There has to be a good reason why he's even considering this. We wouldn't purposely hurt you, or hold you back... I hope you know that."

She kept her guard up.

"Then why? Tell me."

"Because if you dig too deep, you'll hurt yourself." Said Karo.

"You weren't just sick when you woke up... You had put your mind through so much strain, you almost killed yourself."

"Then why do I not remember this?" She asked.

I looked at her. "It's a good thing you didn't. That knowledge was so much for one mind, even yours snapped under the pressure. I had to continuously heal you, and keep you in my gaze in a spell of calming. That barely kept you alive. Had you delved on your own, you would be dead... No one wants that."

She went pale.

"But... Is this really necessary?"

I nodded. "Yes, because what I'm about to relay to everyone pertains directly to what you told me. Having all of the details may not be the best for you in this case... You can't remember or retain that kind of knowledge."

Loki shook her head.

"Well a seal is a bad idea... It could damage something important."

Karo looked down. "Well, I don't know... Do you have a better idea?"

"A filter." She said.

"That way she can only take in as much as she can handle."

"I think I could manage that." Said Chihiro.

Shisuta nodded. "I like that better... Maybe then I could give good insight without... Well, destroying myself as you described."

I nodded. "That's fair, and a good compromise."

Thank god that worked out... Thank you Loki.

Junichi grinned. "And smart too... Not that I didn't know that. All women have at least two brains, but some have three."

All of the women in the room, including Linn, turned to glare at him.

"What?" He said defensively. "It was a compliment!"

I shook my head.

"Well, in any case, how long should it take to cast a filter on the well?"

Chihiro smiled. "It's much less strenuous than a seal, and should only take about five minutes."

I nodded. "Then let's do that now, and I'll begin relaying the information I've received."

Chihiro had to first put Shisuta in a state of trance, allowing her to gave access to her well of knowledge. After that, it was simply a matter of sustained manage drawing, and casting a filter on the well.

When the procedure was finished, Shisuta was brought out of trance.

"How do you feel?" Chihiro asked her.

She sighed. "It feels... More controlled... I guess. Yes, less taxing on my mind. So you were all correct."

Haku sighed. "I am so glad we could settle things peacefully... For once in three and a half years."

Chihiro smiled. "Well, it wasn't a hard solution... But you're right. This fight has been stressful for everyone here. Even the refugees are starting to pick up on the strain."

Linn nodded. "To a certain extent, they always do. Lately it's been worse though... They're all wanting to stay and help, because most of them lost their homes when this whole thing began. We've been so well guarded, we've dealt with a lot of things with more ease than they could. Yet, they've stopped the attacks and plagues. That worries me."

Kuhn sighed. "Yeah... If I know anything, it's that there's always a silence before the storm."

I thought for a moment. I figured we should at least open the portal before entering. See what we're up against.

Before that? There needed to be an explanation.

I cleared my throat.

"Alright then, I have some knowledge on their forces in the heavens. From what Shisuta described, they aren't well guarded."

Linn gave a look of confusion.

"Then... Are they just giving up? I don't know about that."

I looked down. "In a sense, they are... However, they will have the last word in it, were we to simply siege the gate. Shisuta described a core at the center of the golden city... It contains everything in existence divided between the inner minds of nine priestesses. A seed in the center. Were we to open the gates..."

I stopped... I didn't like this part.

"What would happen?" Kuhn pried.

I sighed. "All of the citizens of the golden city are rigged to explode in the event that the gates are breached, destroying the core."

Haku's eyes widened.

"That makes sense! It would explain why no one was allowed to enter the golden city with a direct calling."

Chihiro looked at me.

"But there's another way in, right? What about this seed, divided between nine priestesses... Or rather, in the center of them."

I nodded. "Yes, your intuition never ceases to amaze me. The seed is the key to the throne. I think you have to travel directly into a realm in order to reach it. It couldn't normally be reached by even the amulet, hence the idea we breach the gates. Seeing as that's not possible, we have to take the long way."

Shisuta sighed.

"Yes, but you just said that we couldn't use the amulet, so how do we get there?"

I grinned. "I said normally... We will use the amulet, but we can't travel to it directly, because there are aspects of it that are nonexistent. The amulet can only take you to all places in existence. The dreamstone can summon any object or living organism from anywhere as long as you know what you're looking for. The dream stone amulet will open a portal to said summoned object, as a side effect of the merging of the amulet. Normally this would be considered a flaw... However we can use this to our advantage by summoning the seed."

Shisuta gaped. "That's actually brilliant!"

She looked down nervously.

"But it may not be physically possible to travel there..."

I nodded. "I think we should open it, and look inside first without entering. Then if we can determine something we may need for the journey, I can use the same technique to summon it... You know? Now may have been a good time to have Leviathan's around."

Chihiro sighed. "Yeah... But they followed Eiji and Hiro... And that other girl. They should be back in any case."

"Then why don't we just find them at Deadmarch before they reach the blood roads, and have Eiji or Hiro order half of them back. It would be a simpler and more effective solution than waiting, or even opening portals into treacherous terrain for a summon."

Loki looked at him.

"Actually? I agree with Junichi. Surprisingly... I think we should look into the portal first, so we have time to think about what we'll need."

Kahn nodded, and held the amulet.

"Then let's do it."

Loki was a tactical genius in the ways of survival... This plan was solid in theory.

The only problem was...

No one expected to be pulled into the portal.

...

Boh had made the long trip back to the Warrior's.

There was a noise coming from the place...

Then refugees started spilling out of the building.

Mei ran up to them.

"Thank god you're here!" She cried.

"I think we're being attacked, and Navin's still in there!"

"Hold on, who's attacking!?" Boh exclaimed.

Mei went pale. "It's... I don't know. I've never seen anything like it in my life."

Boh's eyes widened.

"Then it's bad. Onna? Are you coming or not? Your choice."

She nodded. "I'll help however I can."

They ran into the building, and immediately felt the strangeness of the air... Something felt unusually off, and Boh felt his heart sink.

He saw Navin, trapped in between...

What the hell was that!?

It was some kind of energy that seemed to be spilling around him.

It changed everything it touched.

It destroyed and obscured everything.

"Help! Please! I don't wanna die! HELP!"

His voice was echoed, and slightly obscured from the matter surrounding him.

Boh held out his hammer.

He figured it would be a bad idea to touch the stuff, and he was no good to Navin dead.

"Grab the hammer!" He yelled.

He did, and the matter seemed to shoot him out at high speeds, as if it had guessed what Boh had wanted to do.

Except to the extreme.

Onna did a high jump, caught Navin in mid air, and did a safe tuck and roll landing near the door.

"Yeah, there's no way we can fight this." She said.

"Let's just run."

...

Eiji, Hiro, and Emi were all approaching Deadmarch.

Eiji stopped.

"Something doesn't seem right." He said.

Emi looked at him.

"Well, it ain't right! it's Deadmarch."

Hiro nodded. "You're probably getting a bad vibe from the town... I have to admit, it's even giving me the creeps."

Eiji fidgeted nervously.

"I'm telling you something's off."

Emi stopped. "Hold on... It's way quiet... Ya might be right Eiji."

There was an amused laughter from behind them.

They all spun around to see a plethora of well armed men, and a well dressed man among them.

"Niku!" Emi spat between gritted teeth.

He laughed. "Nice to see you again, whore. As for you children?"

The watch stepped forward.

"Welcome to Deadmarch, you're all under arrest."

 ****And that's the end of the sequel. Enjoy part three! :)****


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